Only Time Will Tell
by Harry Potter FrEaK04
Summary: Sequel to TIME AFTER TIME! READ TIME AFTER TIME FIRST! Takes place right after the prequel and will end with Lily and James's Death.
1. Peter's Betrayal

A.N./ Welcome to Only Time Will Tell, the sequel of Time After Time. I doubt this fic will be as long as the first one, but this fic will finish Lily and James's seventh year. Lily and James's wedding, life, birth of Harry, losses of friends and loved ones, and will end with Lily and James's deaths.

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Chapter 1

"Black!" Severus Snape eyeballed his acquaintance Bellatrix Black, "Why would you bring _him_ here!" Snape said motioning towards Peter Pettigrew. "He's one of our enemies, do you really want to kill tonight?"

Bellatrix left Peter's side and began to get very close to Snape, it was obvious she was trying to use her body to get her way. "Ah, Sevvie!" Bellatrix squealed with that high pitched voice of hers, while she ran her hand up his chest. Fury erupted inside of Peter.

"Get him out of here Black! He's best friends with Potter and his comrades, we don't have the patience for blood traitors and Mudblood lovers."

"Oh no I hate Mudbloods too," Peter stood up.

"What!" McNair said eyeballing Peter, "Since when?"

"Forever, I'm a Pureblood and I know how much more superior we are to them."

"What about the blood traitors you hang out with?"

Peter sighed showing frustration, "They weren't blood traitors when I first became friends with them. What was I to do? They were my roommates, I had to join friends with them."

Snape left Bellatrix's side and got as close to Peter as he could, "Once Potter and his little gang started hanging out with Mudblood and her friends, why did you ditch them then?"

"I wouldn't have any other friends and they were my roommates, I couldn't just call her a Mudblood right then. Prong…Potter, Black, Lupin, Evans, Martinez, Westbrook, and Longbottom would have all hexed me into oblivion."

"He's got a point Sevvie," Bellatrix said going to stand between Peter and Snape.

"So why come to our meeting tonight?"

"Bella told me that I wasn't one in a million that thought that all Mudbloods should be taken off of the face of the planet. Bella told me there were lots of other people that shared the thoughts that I had and that I should come along in this meeting with her. Isn't there suppose to be someone to talk to us tonight?"

"Yes the Dark Lord's right-hand man," Bella nodded.

"Who would that be?"

"Lucius Malfoy, my brother-in-law."

Lucius Malfoy arrived in black robes, with the hood drawn, and a mask over his face. "Hello my master's loyal, young servants," but he didn't continue on as usual, he'd spotted Peter. "What is _that_ doing here?"

"Pettigrew?" Bellatrix asked.

"Yes! He's a blood traitor as is all of his pathetic friends!"

"No, I hate Mudbloods!" Peter stood up for himself, second time that night and most likely the second time in his entire life.

"Oh really? Then how do you put up with Evans?"

Peter rolled his eyes and his facial expressions showed you how much he did truly hate Lily Marie Evans, "I only put up with her because she is Potter's girlfriend and all of Potter's gang like her."

"Then why do you put up with Potter's gang?"

Peter laughed coldly, "Are you kidding me! I share the same room with them here at Hogwarts, if I was to betray them now they'd kill me in my sleep."

"So stab them in the back while they've got their head turned," Malfoy said nodding knowingly. "Sounds like a true Death Eater," Malfoy turned to Bellatrix. "You were right Bella, he will make a fine Death Eater for our master. When I go to the Master's lair tomorrow, I will tell him of this new man that would like to join us. I'll let you know master's answer within the week."

"No on to the reason that our master sent me here for, he feels that some have you have become worthy enough to be taken in as a true Death Eater and not the puny trainees we have you as now."

"Oooh," Bellatrix cooed while batting her eyes.

"We will be attacking Hogsmede very soon. We are trying to shake up that Mudblood loving fool, Dumbledore. Master hasn't given me an exact date yet but he just wanted me to let you guys know and to get ready. So far the only official Death Eaters that we have out of you guys is McNair and Snape."

"I'm ready!" Bellatrix said standing up and thrusting her chest out.

"Again I have no push on the Dark Lord's choice, I shall inform Snape of our next meeting." Then Lucius Malfoy apparated away.

Everyone began to leave, but Peter and Bellatrix stayed back.

"Wouldn't want Lestrange to hear about you staying back with another man," Snape said looking at Bellatrix knowingly.

"Aww, are you jealous Sevvie?" Bellatrix asked batting her eyes at her classmate.

"In your dreams," Snape said rolling his eyes in disgust and walking off. Bellatrix smiled as she always got such a joy by pissing Snape off.

"You don't think he'll tell Rodolphus do you?" Peter said as he began to get nervous, Rodolphus had graduated last year and he'd always been a big man. A foot and a half taller than Peter and a whole lot stronger.

"No, he knows that Rodolphus trusts me more than life it's self. He knows that he could tell Rodolphus and I could just bat my eyes and he would only believe me."

"Around your little finger?"

"But of course," Bellatrix said batting her eyes at Peter. "That's how I like _all_ of my men."

"How many men do you have?" Peter asked as he began to feel jealous.

Bellatrix shrugged, "Just you and Rodolphus."

Peter nodded and said, "So I guess we should be getting back to our respected dormitories." Peter began to walk towards the Hogwarts castle, but Bellatrix held him back.

"Our respected dormitories, huh?" Bellatrix gave him a too familiar look, "Peter Pettigrew, you've wanted to shag me since the first time you saw me first year. You think now that I know what a good shag you are, that I'm going to just let you walk away from me."

"No?" Peter said with a smirk crawling onto his face.

"Excellent Pettigrew."

"But where can we go?"

"Hagrid is off on some business for Dumbledore, we could go use his shack. Merlin knows he never gets any, so his cabin will finally see some action!"

Peter and watched as Bellatrix made it in the Hogwarts Castle doors and then he began to walk towards the castle, he knew it was way past curfew. If Peter ran into James, well James would just let him go and remind Peter that curfew for Seventh years was at eleven, _'yes he'd remind him like I was a bloody child!'_

If Lily caught Peter, she tell him that she would give me a detention but if he didn't say anything to anyone she'd let him go just this one time, but to remember curfew was at eleven. Damn Mudblood! How dare she speak to Peter like I'm a complete idiot, she would crash and burn! Peter hoped that he would be the person to deliver her and her friends on a platter.

Get rid of that damn Mudblood, blonde slut, crazy Spaniard, blond bimbo and her dumb husband. Once those idiots were gone, it would be The Marauders again! James, Sirius, Remus, and Peter all of again.

"Peter?" Remus's voice came from behind Peter as he had just walked through the castle doors.

"Remus," Peter said smiling and turning around to his 'friend.'

"What are you doing out so late?"

"Thought I'd take a stroll around the castle."

"But you said that hours ago, before I had to go on Prefect watch."

"Oh yes," Peter said trying to find the best lie, in his head. "Well I took a stroll and then fell asleep by the lake, and I just woke up and realized the time."

"Hurray and get back to our dormitory, I think James and Sirius were talking about an End-Of-Term prank. You know after O.W.L.s and N.E.W.T.s."

"Really!" Peter said enthusiastically, "I thought you guys said we weren't because James was going to attach the old ball and chain?"

"Well that's what we figured, but Lily said that it would be a true end of the year if the Marauder's didn't go out without a bang. Cassidy and Gabriella agreed too, so none of us are going to get in trouble with the girls."

Peter rolled his eyes, "You guys have to get permission from your girlfriends now to actually do something cool? That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard!"

"Pete!" Remus said angry that Peter would talk so badly about his best friends and the girls, "We _don't_ have to get permission from the girls but we like to make sure it's okay with the girls first because it makes them feel like we are letting them in with our lives."

"Whatever," Peter said rolling his eyes. "We've got school in the morning and I need to sleep as we've got classes in the morning, later Moony." Peter walked off and left Remus in awe.

"That was odd," Remus said looking oddly at his friend walk off.

The next morning for breakfast Peter wasn't present, "Something really odd happened last night." Remus said eating some French toast.

"What?" Sirius asked stuffing his face with breakfast sausage, eating like his Animagus form.

"Sirius could you _please_ quit eating like that! It's disgusting!" Cassidy said rolling her eyes at her husband.

Sirius ignored his wife, "What was so odd Remus?"

"Pete last night."

"What about Pete?" James asked eating his scrambled eggs, "Did you see him last night during your patrol?"

"Yeah," Remus nodded. "Ten minutes before I got off patrol Pete came strolling in."

"At ten to midnight?" Lily asked as she stopped eating her cereal.

"Yeah."

"Doesn't he know curfew is at eleven! He could have gotten in so much trouble! Did you give him detention?"

"Yes he knew curfew was at eleven, yes he could have gotten in so much trouble, and no I didn't give him a detention Lily."

"And why not!"

"He said he'd been out for a stroll and fell asleep. By the time he woke up it was past curfew. I felt bad that he fell asleep outside that I just couldn't give him a detention. He seemed really perturbed about that we'd said the other night."

"What did we say?" James asked looking from Remus to Sirius.

"Well you weren't there."

"Okay, what did you two say in front of him?"

"Well," Sirius looked at Remus for help but Remus let Sirius take this one. "Pete asked when our next prank would be and I told him there wouldn't probably be another one because you proposed to Lily."

"What do I have to do with your pranks!" Lily asked outraged that she was being used as their escape goat.

"Well you've got to admit Lils, that since you and Prongs got back together our pranks have slowed down. I just thought that the old ball and chain would slow him down."

"Are you kidding me!" James asked outraged that they'd say that about Lily.

"Wait James," Lily said holding James back. "The guys have a point, just because I'm Head Girl and I've always been by the book and since we got back together you guys pranks have slowed down."

"I couldn't agree more," Peter said sitting down at the table for breakfast with them. "Remus told me last night that we're going to do one last big thing before graduation."

"Yeah," James said as the idea of a prank brought music to his ears. "And it wasn't just me dating Lily that slowed our pranks down, we've been really busy all year. Head duties, homework, preparing for N.E.W.T.s, and we've all been to numerous funerals. Both Lily and I have had several heartbreaks this year too."

A bell rang, "Five minutes to class." Alice said standing up and they all headed to their first class of the day, Transfiguration with the Ravenclaws, in which Alice's husband was in.

Everyone began to pile in class put Lily pulled James back, "Can we speak for a moment?"

James kissed his fiancée's forehead, "But of course my love. What's going on?"

"Can we schedule a Prefect meeting tonight after dinner?"

"Of course," James chuckled at Lily. "What's the occasion?"

"Schedule the last Hogsmede trip for this term."

"Okay," James nodded. "I thought the last one was on Valentine's day?"

"Well I talked to Professor Dumbledore last night while you were studying with Sirius and he agreed with me that a Hogsmede weekend right before graduation would be a good idea."

"Sounds good to me too," James said smiling at his beautiful fiancée. "So when will the Hogsmede trip be?"

"Well, as we graduate on June sixteenth. N.E.W.T.s, O.W.L.s, and End-Of-Term exams are the week of May twenty-eighth, I say we have the Hogsmede weekend the following week."

"Perfect," James nodded. "We'll inform all the prefects of the meeting at lunch, now let's get to class."

Lily and James were sitting in the Prefect's lounge waiting for the prefects to show up for the meeting. They were about fifteen minutes early, and as the fifteen minutes passed by the rest filed in.

"What did you want with us Evans, Potter?" Seventh year Slytherin prefect, and resident bitch Bellatrix Black asked moodily.

"We have decided to have one last Hogsmede trip," Lily said smiling and ignoring Bellatrix's mood. James just watched her in amazement, to think that _the_ Lily Evans would be his wife in a few months, and that they'd live happy ever after, was just amazing.

"Great," the other seventh year Slytherin prefect Severus Snape said sarcastically.

"So when will it be?" Seventh year Gryffindor prefect, Cassidy O'Brian-Black asked excited.

"The week after N.E.W.T.s, O.W.L.s, and End-of-Term exams are done with.

"That's perfect!" Seventh year Gryffindor prefect, Remus Lupin nodded.

"Great idea!" Seventh year Ravenclaw prefect, Frank Longbottom smiled at the happy couple before him.

"Wait I thought that the Valentine's day trip was the last one," Snape said as he always hated Hogsmede weekends.

"I talked to Professor Dumbledore and he agreed with James and me that the trip would be a great relief for everyone after all the exams," Lily said smiling that she'd got all of the kinks out.

"What will the date be?" Bellatrix asked grumpily.

"May fourth," Lily said and then looked up at James. "Anything you'd like to add?"

"Nope," James shook his head. "You covered it all. Remus could you pass these flyers to the Seventh year prefects of all the houses, and we need you guys to put these on your House Common Room. Okay, you guys are excused."

Remus passed the flyers to Bellatrix Black, Frank Longbottom, and Hank Abbott; the rest all got up and left.

"Ready to go back to our common room?" James said seductively.

"Yeah!" Lily said enthusiastically, "I need to talk to you about some Wedding preparations." Lily obviously didn't catch what James's intentions had been, but he shrugged it off and agreed to help Lily with the upcoming wedding preparations.

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Head Common Room

"So we graduate on June sixteenth and so I thought, maybe we should get married on June thirtieth. What do you think?"

James smiled and kissed Lily's fiancée's forehead, "Perfect. Whatever you want, it's yours."

"Really!" Lily asked as her eyes began to sparkle, "Can we get married in the church where my mum and dad were married in and the church I was raised up in?"

"Lovely my love."

"I since it's only four months until our wedding, I was wondering if you would mind for our first time to be on our wedding night?"

"Come here," James pulled Lily into his lap and he began to smell her hair and then looked straight into her brilliant emerald green eyes. "Of course it will be okay if we wait until then."

"I just know how we got really close that night," Lily blushed. "I was acting like a hussy."

"You were just upset, it's not like you wanted to again or anything."

Lily shook her head, "You're wrong James. I've thought about you and me so many times before and after that. My mum waited until she was married, as did both of my grandmothers. I feel like I'd be failing them if I didn't too, you understand don't you?"

"Of course. Your happiness comes way ahead of sex, Lily Flower we could be married all of our life and if you never wanted to have sex I'd be fine with that too."

Lily smiled and kissed her fiancée passionately hard on his lips, "I love you."

James chuckled and his cheeks turned a slight pink, "You just can't kiss me like that."

Lily giggled and snuggled into his chest and after a while James realized that her body was shaking against his as if she was crying. James pulled her face upward so that he could see her lovely porcelain face, and he'd been right Lily had been crying.

"Why are you crying lovely?"

"I don't have a place to live after this," Lily said as James whipped her tears away from her face.

"Of course you do," James said kissing her forehead and pulling her close.

"Where? If you think that I can move back into my parents house, you are wrong. I told you that I was going to empty the house out after I graduate and sell the house. I could never live there again. I couldn't sit there and let all the memories hit me, I'd die of depression."

"I know," James said nodding and holding her closer. "I don't expect you to live in your parents house. Yes, I remember you saying that you had to sell it after we graduated."

"You don't expect us to live in your mother's old house do you?" Lily's eyes widened, "There's no way I'll make you suffer like that."

James smiled at her, "No. I intend to sale both the Milan and London home. As a matter of fact I got a letter this morning with a price from someone who wants the Milan house."

"You already have them on the market?"

"Yes, and it's a good price. I agreed to meet with them soon, and I guess I'll do it on our Hogsmede weekend."

"Could I go with you?"

James kissed Lily's lips, "Of course love."

"I always wanted to see the Milan estate, Sarah use to go on and on about it."

James smile a sad smile, "Yes that was Sarah's favorite house. Mum had always agreed to give it to Sarah after she graduated Hogwarts."

"I'm sorry I brought her up."

"No," James said shaking his head. "I like to talk about them, you know I don't want to forget them. There was this little cottage right outside of Wizard London, that I've always had my eye on. In a little neighborhood called Godric's Hollow, an all Wizarding neighborhood. The house I've had my eye on isn't in the best condition, but it wouldn't take much to dress it up. It's two stories, but I haven't seen the inside."

"Sounds wonderful," Lily's eyes sparkled. "When can we see it?"

"Hogsmede weekend before we go meet the potential buyer for the estate in Milan?" James offered.

"Okay," Lily smiled. "But where do we go before we get a home?"

"Well I've got enough money to have us stay at the Leaky Cauldron."

Lily's nose scrunched up, "That place is a bit shabby. I've got tons of Muggle money and I know this cute little hotel right outside of Wizarding London."

"Hey!" James said excitingly, "Maybe it's close to the house."

Lily shrugged, "Maybe."


	2. Mummy and Daddy

A.N. In the last chapter at the Meeting for the Prefects I put that the Hogsmede weekend would be on May 4th, but I wrote it wrong as the exams aren't until end of May. So Hogsmede weekend is June 4th. Sorry for the mix up.

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Chapter 2

The next day at breakfast Lily, Cassidy, Gabriella, and Alice were talking very fast to one another as the guys planned on the End-Of-The-Year prank, it was suppose to be The Marauder prank of pranks. The Marauder's were even going to let Frank help him, they had elected him honorary Marauder, yes as weird as it sounded the fifth Marauder. Of course Peter was totally against this, but he never spoke his mind. Peter's anger just built up more and more inside.

"So what is your gown going to look like?" Alice asked giddy as Alice was _the_ fashion queen.

"I don't know yet," Lily said blushing a slight pink. "And it's not like I can just go out and shop, we've got one Hogsmede weekend before we graduate on June sixteenth and we're getting married on June thirtieth."

"Well we'll go shopping on the Hogsmede trip," Gabriella offered.

"Trust me I _love_ to, but I promised James that I'd go look at the house he wants to buy and go with him to Milan to help him sell his family's old estate."

"It's not going to take you all day though," Cassidy offered.

"True," Lily nodded.

"Just find out when James wants to do this and then we'll go shopping."

"Good idea Cassie."

"Meanwhile I've got tons of magazines you can look at to find our dresses and yours," Alice said flicking her wand and Lily instantly felt her book bag instantly get heavier.

When James entered the Head Common Room, he found his beautiful fiancée asleep with a bridal magazine on her chest. James noticed that all around her there were tons of bridal magazine's all over the floor where Lily's books usually lay.

James leaned down to kiss Lily's forehead and her eyes fluttered open, "James?"

"Hi love," James said moving some of the bridal magazines so he could join Lily on the couch.

"Hi," Lily mumbled sleepy.

"You were studying for N.E.W.T.s?"

"For once, nope." Lily said as James pulled her close to him.

"Wow, Miss Head Girl wasn't actually studying! I'm shocked!"

Lily chuckled, "I do have to plan for our wedding."

"Well I'm helping."

"Okay, I do have to pick out a Wedding Gown."

"I can help."

"Oh no," Lily said shaking her head. "That's bad luck!"

"So how is the wedding plans coming along?"

"Wonderful," Lily said with a smile that hung from ear to ear.

"So tell me what you've got done."

"Alright," Lily said smiling and began talking about the dream wedding that was being planned for James and herself as James just smiled as he watched Lily look so excited.

"Oh boys!" Sirius sang as he entered his dormitory.

"Studying Padfoot," Remus growled.

"Sorry Moony, geez is it that time of the month already?"

"Ha ha," Remus rolled his eyes. "No it's not and you should be studying also. It is almost April and we take N.E.W.T.s at the end of May!"

"Well we can worry about N.E.W.T.s later, right now we have to figure out where we're going to throw James's bachelor party!" Sirius yelled with a 'woo-hoo,' at the end.

"Why?" Peter said looking at Sirius oddly, "We didn't throw one for you."

"That's because Cassidy and I decided to get married out of no where."

"Well we graduate on June sixteenth and they get married on the thirtieth," Remus said going over the obvious with Sirius once more.

"So the twenty-ninth?"

"Maybe," Remus nodded. "But it depends on what time the wedding will be, we won't want to party all night with James if he has to get married at ten the next morning."

Sirius gasped, "Lily wouldn't!"

"You never know with her," Peter said with disgust rolling his eyes.

"What was that suppose to mean?" Sirius said looking at Peter through slits that were now his eyes.

Peter had to really pull something out of the air, "Well…we all know how much of a morning person Lily is."

"Ek," Sirius said nodding. "I'll never understand how that fiery redhead could be an awful morning person. So we've got to tell Prongsie that there is no way they can get married that early in the morning."

"You can't tell them that."

"And why not Moony?"

"Yeah why not?" Peter said going back to his following Sirius and James's days.

"Because it's _their_ wedding. Not yours Padfoot and not yours Wormtail, now if you don't mind _we_ all really need to study."

"How dare you!" Sirius gasped, "Putting horrible N.E.W.T.s before our wonderful friend Prongsie! How scandalous!"

"You're a nutter," Remus said and then threw a silencing charm on Sirius's mouth. You could see his outrage all over Sirius's face as he stormed off looking for his wife so she'd take sympathy on him.

"You know you shouldn't have done that," Peter said sitting on his bed reading a letter that had just come in by an apparent school owl.

"Done what?" Remus asked as he was reading over his notes from McGonagall's class.

"Done that to Padfoot."

Remus shrugged, "He deserved it. Padfoot just can't say when Lily and James can and can't get married, it's just rude."

"Whatever," Peter said rolling his eyes at the damn werewolf that thought he was such a 'good' friend.

Remus looked up from his notes to see Peter was back to reading the letter that had come to him, "Who's that from?"

"Uh…my mom?"

"Ah," Remus nodded not catching on to Peter's nervousness.

All of a sudden Peter jumped up and began to exit his dormitory room, "Where you going Pete?"

"I just remembered I forgot my book in Flitwick's class."

But before Remus could remind Peter that they hadn't been in Charms that day, Peter was gone.

Running from Hogwarts as his Animagus form, he then apparated illegally to the familiar cheap Muggle hotel right outside of Wizarding London.

"Thought you'd never get here," Bellatrix said walking up to Peter seductively.

"What's going to happen to us after you marry Rodolphus?"

"Aww," Bellatrix batted her eyes. "Don't get all sappy on me Pet, we'll still find a way. As long as you don't go back to the Mudblood loving fool, Dumbledore's side."

"**AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!**"

"Lily!" James said waking up to hearing his fiancée screaming bloody murder. Flicking open his draperies on his four poster bed and pulling Lily close to him, "Lily! Lily! Come on Lily, you've got to wake up." Tears leaked out from Lily's eyes as she was still screaming and James's just couldn't wake her up.

"Come on Lily! Love, wake up! Love, wake up!"

Lily's eyes finally snapped open, "James!" Sobbing into his chest and James just tried to soothe her, he had no idea what was wrong with her and what had happened but he knew she'd tell him as soon as she could find the words.

"What was it love?" James asked as Lily continued to cry into his shoulder five minutes later.

"It was horrible," Lily muffled into his wet chest from her tears.

"Come on, I need to know what's wrong. You'll feel better once you tell me."

Lily sat up and nodded as James wiped Lily's tears away from her porcelain face. "It was horrible."

"Your dream?"

"Yes," Lily sniffled. "I was so scared and I just couldn't leave and you were dead."

"What! Tell me what was going on Lily."

"Okay," Lily said cuddling up closer to James and she could lay back into his arms. "It was Voldemort was after us again, but he killed you and there was a baby."

"He killed a baby!"

"No."

"Okay?"

Lily sat up and looked at James with a full smile and of course James was happy to see Lily smiling but he was confused to see her smile. "Oh James, he was the most beautiful baby I've ever seen."

"Okay?"

"He looked just like you," James felt butterflies swarming in his stomach as Lily was describing this baby. "He had your face, he had cute fat baby cheeks, your messy hair, but he had my eyes! He was gorgeous."

"What?" James blinked.

"Huh?" Lily asked hurt, "You don't think he sounds beautiful?"

"Of course, but who is this baby?"

Lily bit her bottom lip, "I think he was ours."

Lily saw a smile creep upon James's face, "_Our baby_? Wow, that's weird to say."

"I know."

"He must have been gorgeous if he had my looks and your amazing eyes."

Lily rolled her eyes, "You're so arrogant…"

"But?"

"But I love you."

Lily laid back on James's chest, "It's really weird."

"What?"

"You saw our baby…"

"Well, I'm not sure," Lily said honestly.

"Aww come on Lily, you said he looked just like me and he had your eyes. How much of a coincidence is that?"

"It was so horrible though."

"Why?"

"Voldemort was wherever we were," Lily blinked laying on James's chest and staring off into space. "You yelled at me to run with the baby…"

"Did you happen to get his name?"

"I remember you said it but I can't remember now."

"Oh."

"I was running up the stairs and I heard your body drop to the ground and I began to cry as I locked the baby and me in a room."

"Do you remember which room."

"Not now," Lily shook her head no. "Voldemort blasted the door down and he wanted the baby, but I wouldn't let him have it and we argued and I pleaded for the baby's life. And then he killed me."

"In front of the baby?"

Lily nodded, "Right there in front of him."

"What happen to the baby?"

"I don't know, I woke up."

James pulled Lily close to him, "That is a horrible dream my love. I promise you that'll never happen to us. I promise to always take care of you."

"I know you will."

"We need to get back to sleep though love," James said looking at his watch on his bedside table.

"Okay," Lily said as she cuddled up to James's warm body and slept in his bed as her room only was only used for her clothes and things.

"Oh my gah! This is it! This is the one!" Lily screamed and began jumping up and down on her favorite sofa in her Common Room that she shared with her fiancée.

"Where!" Cassidy yelled as she bolted from the armchair to see the gown Lily had _finally_ settled on.

"Here!" Lily said as Cassidy, Alice, and Gabriella gathered around Lily to see the gown.

The gown was an off the shoulder gown with an tight bodice and the gown flowed out at the hips. Behind the gown was a foot train. The gown was pure white with little pink flowers here and there and in the middle of the flowers was little rhinestones.

"Wow!" Gabby gasped.

"That is you Lily!" Cassidy agreed.

"It's wonderful!" Alice the fashion queen approved.

"What magazine is this from?"

"Bridal Witch."

"Awesome!" Alice gasped, "I heard they just opened a store in Hogsmede! We can reserve your dress then and store it at my house so James won't see it."

"Why not my house?" Cassidy asked outraged.

"Because Sirius is James's best friend and Merlin knows Sirius can't keep a secret."

"Allie has a point," Gabriella spoke up.

"Yeah," Cassidy nodded. "It's okay I'm Matron-of-Honor!"

"So have you picked out our dresses yet?" Gabriella asked.

"Oh yeah, didn't I tell you guys?"

"No! You didn't!" Cassidy said throwing a pillow at her best friend.

"What does it look like!" Alice the fashion queen squealed.

"Hang on," Lily said trying to find the magazine that she'd found it in. "Here's the magazine."

"Kris's Bridal?" Alice asked, "I've never heard of them."

"I wouldn't expect you to," Lily said flipping through the pages. "It's a Muggle shop by my parents old house."

"Oh."

"Here it is," Lily said holding the magazine's out to her friends.

"Great! It's not ugly!" Cassidy squealed.

"Hey! I've got great taste!"

"Of course you do," Alice agreed. "My goodness Lily, it's great!"

"It's peach!" Gabriella smiled.

"Well none of you are as pale as I am and you all look good in peach, so I thought why not?"

All the girls nodded, and gazed at the gorgeous gowns that they'd be wearing. The gown was a roman look and very slender and on the back was a row of ten pink rosettes with a little flowing train coming from underneath the rosettes to the bottom of the dress, which was at the feet.

"So when do we go get our gowns?" Alice asked excited to be able to wear such a beautiful dress.

"How about a week after graduation? That way we're all moved in to our homes by then."

"When is the Seventh Year Ball?" Gabby asked.

"Huh?" Lily asked stupidly.

"Duh Lils!" Cassidy said rolling her eyes, "Every year the Seventh Year students and their dates have a last ball before graduation."

"Uh…"

"Oh no!" Alice gasped, "Don't tell me you forgot!"

"Forgot what?" James asked as he walked in the Common Room followed by Sirius, Remus, and Frank.

"The Seventh Year Ball."

"NO!" Sirius gasped believing that his wife had to be wrong. "You couldn't have! Prongsie!"

"Oops, I guess we were so occupied with planning the wedding we forgot."

"Well you better un-forget!" Sirius squealed.

"Geez Padfoot!" Remus chuckled, "You'd think you were one of the girls the way you're squealing."

"We need to talk to Dumbledore soon to plan it and then I guess get the other Seventh Year Prefects to help us out with. The other Prefects don't help out do they?" James asked clueless as he'd never been a Prefect before.

"No they don't help out," Lily shook her head. "I can't believe I forgot about the Seventh Year Ball."

"It's okay Love," James said hugging his fiancée. "You've been so busy planning our beautiful Wedding and that's all that you could think about."

Sirius noticed all the magazine's on the floor, "What are you girls up to now?"

"Planning Lily's wedding," Cassidy said answering her husband's question.

"I thought that was James's responsibility."

"Not picking our dresses and picking out Lily's gown," Alice said in disgust.

"You've picked the dresses out?" James said turning to his lovely bride-to-be.

"Yup, just a few moments ago."

"Show them!" Alice gushed.

"She can't show her own dress," Gabriella pointed out.

"Why not?" Sirius asked stupidly.

"Bad luck, James can't see Lily's gown until she comes down the aisle."

"Okay fine," James nodded. "I want to see what Cassidy, Alice, and Gabriella will be wearing."

"Here," Lily said handing James the magazine.

"Wow!"

"Where's Peter?" Alice spoke up.

"Good question," Remus nodded. "Do you know Padfoot?"

"No clue, he's been really weird lately."

"Miss Evans, Mr. Potter. What a surprise to see you," Dumbledore said smiling at the young couple with a twinkle in his eyes. "Sit," Dumbledore said motioning to the two seats in front of his desk.

"We were reminded by our friends today that we have to plan the Seventh Year Ball," James spoke up.

Dumbledore nodded, "I figured the two of you would be by soon to plan the ball. The Seventh Year Ball is a tradition we've had here at Hogwarts for a while now. It's a way our Seventh Year students can have a good time and say goodbye before graduation."

"So when should we plan the ball?" Lily asked.

"Well we usually have it the day before graduation, as graduation isn't until five in the evening."

"So the ball would be on June 15th?"

"Correct Miss Evans, I say the ball starts at seven the night of the 15th and will end at one in the morning on the 16th. What do the two of you think?"

"Sounds perfect Professor."

"I agree with James."

"Good, then the two of you can hold a meeting tomorrow after dinner. You will need to contact all of the Seventh Year Prefect."

"Oh my!" Cassidy gasped staring at the color that was floating in the room.

"Cassie!" Alice gasped, "You were right!"

"I can't believe it!" Cassidy said starting to cry.

"You are happy right?" Gabriella asked.

"Of course I am!" Cassidy said laughing while crying, "I can't believe I'm going to be a Mummy!"

"We've got to go tell Lily!" Alice squealed.

"I've got to tell Sirius first," Cassidy standing up as her stomach quit glowing red, which meant she was pregnant.

"Tell Sirius what slut?" Came the foul mouth of the school slut Paris Waters.

"Ek, you're actually talking to them?" Paris's sidekick and school slut number two, Heather Cox gagged.

"Shut up you sluts," Cassidy said shoving both of them before leaving.

"Padfoot you really suck at Wizard's Chess," Peter said staring at his Pureblood friend was being beat by a damned half-breed.

"Stuff it Wormtail," Sirius growled so much like a real dog.

"Sirius?" Came Cassidy's sweet voice and Sirius turned to see his beautiful wife standing before him smiling so widely and he had no clue what was making her look so happy.

"Hello my love," Sirius said getting up and kissing his wife passionately on the lips.

"Can I speak to you?"

"Of course."

Cassidy looked at his friends, "Alone?"

"Oh, of course. Wormtail do you mind finishing the game with Remus for me? We're going to talk alone upstairs in the dormitory."

"Sure," Peter shrugged carelessly while Sirius and Cassidy headed upstairs to the boys dormitory.

Once up in the room Sirius padded his bed for her to sit with him, Cassidy was very familiar with this room as she was in here a lot with Sirius. Both Cassidy and Alice always snuck out at night to spend time with their husbands. Of course it was harder for Alice than Frank, but good thing Frank had an invisibility cloak that Alice used to sneak into Ravenclaw's Common Room.

"What's up babe?" Sirius asked looking at his wife lovingly.

"Promise me you won't hate me," Cassidy said starting to get scared at what his reaction would be.

Sirius chuckled at her and kissed her lips, "I'd never hate you."

"Okay," Cassidy took a deep breath. "I'm pregnant."

"Come again?"

"I'm pregnant, oh you're not happy!" Cassidy began to cry and she began to walk away but Sirius pulled her back by putting his arms around her stomach.

"No I was just surprised, I thought we were being careful."

"Well we were!" Cassidy yelled outraged, "I can see you aren't happy with this and I was! But I don't care I'm not aborting our baby!"

"No, no!" Sirius said pulling her close, "Of course I'm happy! I'm just surprised, you can't tell me you weren't surprised when you first found out."

"Well…yeah I was."

"Of course I'm happy love! We made a baby, wow…that's weird to say. Isn't it?"

Cassidy smiled while shaking her head, "Yes. Can you believe it! I'm going to be a Mummy!"

"Yeah," Sirius said with a cute smirk upon his face. "And I'll be a daddy, but we'll be way better parents than mine had been."

"But of course," Cassidy purred.

"Whoa woman!" Sirius said raising his eyebrows at his wife.

"Want to celebrate?" Cassidy said getting really close to her husband.

"Are you sure we can do that in your state?"

"I'm not about to have the baby, and yes it's fine."

"How far along are you?"

"I don't know, I'll go see Madam Pomfrey tomorrow. I thought we were going to celebrate?"

"Oh yeah," Sirius locked the door and put a silencing charm on the room as soon to be Mummy and Daddy celebrated on the thought of their future baby.


	3. Endings and New Beginnings

****

Chapter 3

March sprung in and out and April was defiantly bringing showers as April began to die down. With May was soon to come, everyone at Hogwarts knew that Cassidy Black was with child. Of course all of Sirius and Cassidy's friends were ecstatic, well except for Peter but no one knew of Peter's true feelings. No one but Bellatrix Black and Peter's new 'friends,' would know his true feelings.

"So how far along are you again Cassidy?" Alice questioned, "Frank's mother owled me the other day asking me."

Cassidy smiled as she rubbed her small little pouch that was forming , "Almost three months now."

"So exciting that there will be a small little package awaiting arrival in September?" Gabriella asked excitedly.

"Please!" Peter almost screamed impatiently, "You'd think this kid was a miracle or something."

Sirius looked so as if he was about to spit nails at Peter and Cassidy looked on the verge of tears, but it was James that spoke up. "What the hell is up with you Pete?"

"Huh!" Peter asked as he looked like a deer looking into car headlights, to Lily at least.

"First you got all moody after you found out that I had proposed to Lily and that we were getting married and now you've just been a complete arse since we all found out that Cassidy is pregnant. What the hell is up with you?"

"Well I mean, I just can't believe you guys are all getting married…you know we're all still young. It's just a surprise that know Sirius and Cassidy are planning for a baby, I mean they haven't even been married six months. Just a bit of a shock," Peter said lying out of his arse. Everyone just ignored him, but Lily couldn't help but feel that Peter had deeper feelings that none of them knew of. Peter soon got up and left, but no one seemed to care after the comment he'd just given them.

"Had any weird cravings yet?" Lily decided to bring the subject back to the baby and was happy to see her best friend beam when she heard the subject of her darling baby brought back up.

"Last night I made Sirius sneak down to the kitchens to get me some ice cream."

"What's so weird about that?" Gabriella asked.

"It was so gross!" Sirius whined, "She wanted ketchup and dill pickles with the vanilla ice cream, I almost barfed when I brought it to her. The grossest thing was that she _actually_ ate it!"

James groaned with Sirius while Remus just chuckled at his best friends, "Well duh!" Alice said rolling her eyes at the guys, "Pregnant women eat weird foods, we get these weird cravings."

Not even Cassidy's pregnancy could take the young students away from the pressures of N.E.W.T.s, and that as April was almost over that N.E.W.T.s was only a single month away.

Every seventh year student was studying harder than they'd ever studied in their entire life for the test that they'd take soon. The one single test that could change their entire lives. Whether they'd graduate or not, whether they'd get the dream job they wanted or not.

The end of the year started getting harder and harder for Lily as she was not only studying for her N.E.W.T.s, but also planning for her wedding and helping out her best friend through her pregnancy.

James was also busy with studying for N.E.W.T.s, helping Lily plan for the wedding, and planning the biggest prank The Marauder's would ever through. If their friends thought they'd seen big after Snape had called Lily a 'Mudblood' their fifth year, well they hadn't seen nothing yet!

Unfortunately on April 28th bad news hit the group, and of course they heard it that morning at breakfast.

Lily, James, Sirius, Cassidy, Remus and Gabriella were surprised to see Frank show up at breakfast by himself. Frank sat down at the Gryffindor table to join his friends, even if he was a Ravenclaw.

"Where's Alice?" Cassidy said looking from Frank to the doors to the Great Hall.

"She came to my room last night really upset last night."

"What's the matter?" Gabriella asked looking scared.

Frank sighed, "She got a letter last night from the Ministry. Her mum, dad, and both older brothers had been murdered last night in their home."

"Oh no," Gabriella gasped.

"Poor Alice," Lily said looking truly sincere.

"How is she doing?" Cassidy asked as she rubbed her belly lovingly without even thinking.

"She could be a lot better," Frank said sighing and running his hands through his hair frustrated.

"You're going to Dumbledore right?" James asked.

"What for?" Frank asked getting really frustrated.

"He'll probably let you go home for the funerals, like he let me and James those many times." Lily mumbled.

"I don't know if she'll want to go."

"She'll need closure," Cassidy said nodding.

"Where is she right now?" Gabriella asked.

"Still up in my four poster bed, she refuses to come down, even if she does have my cloak. I guess I'll go see Dumbledore and then go back and check on her. I wanted to stay in with her today, but she wouldn't let me."

"Probably needs her space right now," Remus said as he looked down. No one responded to his comment, everyone knew that Remus's parents had been murdered their fifth year in Romania. Remus went to his grandmother's house during the holidays, but she wasn't doing that well to and it wouldn't surprise any of them if she died any day now.

"You're probably right Remus," Frank sighed. "I guess I'll go see Dumbledore now, hopefully I'll see you guys at lunch."

Everyone said goodbye and it left the rest of the crowd in silence until Peter came to the table.

"What's up with you guys? Looks like someone died," everyone gave Peter a death glare. "What!"

"Alice's family was murdered last night in their home," Remus explained as Sirius was still angry with Peter after Peter blew up the other day about Cassidy's pregnancy.

"Oh no," Peter said flakily, but everyone was preoccupied to tell. "How is she?"

"She'll be fine Wormtail," Sirius snapped and no one else spoke until the bell rang and everyone began to head towards their first class of the day, Herbology.

Alice didn't come down for lunch nor dinner and no one really saw her until she was getting ready to leave for the funerals with Frank. Frank's mother had agreed to make all the arrangements for Alice, as Alice rarely got out of bed.

"Hey Allie," Gabriella smiled as her friend.

"Hi," Alice mumbled but that was all she said during the whole time at breakfast.

Frank basically stuffed Alice's food down her throat, but she didn't argue. The rest of breakfast was basically quiet as no one really wanted to upset Alice and before any of them could say a thing, Frank did.

"Love, it's time."

Alice blinked and all of her friends saw tears filling up in her eyes, but she was strong and wasn't going to let them fall.

"Bye Allie!"

"Bye Alice!"

"See you soon Allie."

Alice nodded at her friends as Frank put his arm around his wife protectively as they left for Dumbledore's office so that they could head to the funeral.

"I hope she'll be okay," Gabriella spoke worried.

"She'll be alright," Lily said trying to convince not only her friends but also herself.

"I hope you're right Lily," Cassidy said as her eyes were still glued at doors that led from the Great Hall to the Entrance Hall.

The more closer that May crept by, the more that you hardly saw any seventh year students having any fun at all. The only time Lily and James saw their friends was when they were either at class or at meals, other that Lily and James stayed cooped up in their Common Room studying with one another.

Finally one morning Cassidy crack, "Lily!"

"Huh!" Lily said sitting up, she'd fallen asleep in her toast and eggs.

"You've got to let us study in your Common Room, it's way to noisy in Gryffindor Common Room and we can't study in our dormitory."

"Why not?" James asked looking at Cassidy oddly.

"Because we have to put up with Heather and Paris's crap!"

"It's fine with me," Lily said shrugging her shoulders beginning to eat her food now. "James?"

"Okay but under one condition."

"What?"

"The Marauder's are welcome to study in the Common Room too."

"Okay," Lily said and then she spotted Frank looking left out. "Frank of course you're welcome too."

"Yeah, sorry man. You are like the fifth Marauder," James said.

"No it's okay…"

"Shut up Frank," Lily snapped. "I'm stressed out about my wedding and N.E.W.T.s, and you are going to study with the rest of us and that's it!"

"Yes ma'am."

Studying sessions in the Head Common Room, ended up not only helping them all out but being fun too. Fun and educational, Lily totally approved. Once the girls were tired of studying they were right there to help Lily out with wedding plans that James had no idea on. So it not only helped Lily out, but it got Lily off of James's back. While the girls were doing wedding plans, the guys were planning the prank of the century. Peter was scarcely around anymore, he had a tutor for Potions so he could pass his N.E.W.T.s, so Frank had like fallen into Peter's place with The Marauders.

Frank showed up the next morning at breakfast looking out of breath and Alice running to try and keep up with him. Lily and James had been at breakfast super early for some random reason.

"Frank!" Lily said looking surprised at how red in the face both his wife and he had been, "What's going on?"

"You've got to read this! There was a big party for the Ministry last night and there was another Death Eater attack."

James snatched the paper clipping from Frank, it was obvious that Frank's mother had sent it to him.

**__**

You-Know-Who Attacks Ministry Party

Britain's Ministry of Magic had all other Ministry of Magic's around the world had their annual party and this year it was hosted in our great nation, Britain. Unfortunately You-Know-Who and his followers the Death Eaters attack upon the party. Many were murdered or seriously hurt last night and the death count is still in numbers.

And then at the bottom of the letter was Mrs. Longbottom's handwriting with names of people Lily recognized that had been affirmed dead.

Jack Longbottom

Rosalia and Jose Martinez

Henry, Elizabeth, Henry Jr., and Christopher O'Brian

Jack, who'd been Frank's father, had been Head of Magical Games. Jose Martinez had been an Auror and Rosalia, his wife had just come along with him to the party. Henry and Elizabeth had both been Aurors and their two sons had followed into their parents footsteps.

Lily felt her mouth dry out as she realized not only was James, Alice, and herself orphans but so was all the rest of her friends.

"Oh Merlin," Lily gasped looking up at Frank as she saw total sadness in his eyes. "I'm so sorry," Lily got up and hugged her dear friend. "I'm so sorry about your father."

"It's okay Lily, at least I still have my mum. But how are we suppose to break this to everyone else?"

Just then it was obvious that the others had gotten letters from the ministry, as Gabriella and Cassidy looked as upset as Alice had looked just weeks ago. Sirius and Remus looked as if they were holding their loved ones up. Of course Remus understood what Gabriella was going through, as he went through the same a few years ago. Sirius's parents had been dead to him years ago, his real family had been the Potters and all but James was alive now. So Sirius also knew what Cassidy was going through.

Lily heard Cassidy sob into Sirius's shoulder, "Mum and Dad will never see the baby. T…they were so…so happy."

"Shh love, I know. I know."

Cassidy, Frank, and Gabriella refused to miss class that day as N.E.W.T.s were so close now, but they all did miss half a day for their parents or brothers funerals.

Later that day Lily got a letter from Molly Weasley.

****

Dearest Lily,

I know it has been a while since you've heard from me, since poor Tyler's funeral. I heard about your engagement to James Potter and I wanted to tell you I was so happy for you. I haven't had time to write you lately as I recently had my set of twins, Fred and George. Bill, Charlie, and Percy are excited about the babies, I was really hoping for a little girl though, hopefully next time.

I hope to hear from you soon, but I just wanted to warn you about You-Know-Who, be careful. You-Know-Who especially wants to get rid of Muggleborns, and I really care for you Lily, you are a very sweet girl. You-Know-Who is even going after Purebloods, as you've seen with the Potter family. Take care of yourself and James.

Your friend,

Molly Weasley

When N.E.W.T.s finally started up, Lily was actually thankful. It had been hard around all of her friends because they'd all slowly lost their parents as James and herself had before. It was as if Lord Voldemort had not only killed off Lily and James's family but now he was going after the families of their friends and she hoped that he wouldn't go after their friends next.

Every N.E.W.T.s test Lily sat in the desk next to James, even though all desks were apart she was still close to her fiancée. Cassidy sat on the other side of Lily in every class that they had together, Sirius sat on the other side of James.

Cassidy was now four months pregnant and by every week that goes by Cassidy slowly gets bigger as the baby grows more and more. Cassidy, Alice, and Gabriella hung out in Lily's room gossiping about the future baby to come and the wedding that soon would be around. Also very excited about graduation.

"Sirius said he's got us a house!" Cassidy said one day rubbing her belly, "We're going to go look at it at the next Hogsmede weekend."

"How weird," Lily said out loud.

"What's weird?" Alice asked.

"On the Hogsmede weekend James and I are going meet a potential buyer for his mother's Milan house and then he wants to show me the home he's been entranced by. We might even buy it."

"That is odd," Cassidy smiled.

"We're going to sell my parents home," Alice sniffled. "And then buy a new house, until then we're just going to stay at Frank's mother's house."

"Remus has his parents old house and we'll just stay there," Gabriella said. "I've already put my parents house on the market."

"It's so weird," Lily said again. "We're all trying to sale our parents home."

"I couldn't ever live there," Alice spoke up and all her friends agreed.

Lily decided to change the subject, "Cassidy what are you having? A boy or a girl?"

"Sirius and I agreed for it to be a surprise."

"Like hell you will!" Gabriella spoke up and all the girls laughed at her sudden absurdness. Gabriella stood in the hallway and called the guys up to Lily's room, and after they were all in the room Gabriella turned on Sirius. "We are finding out what your wife is carrying."

Sirius looked at Remus's girlfriend oddly, "We all know my wife is carrying a baby and not a kangaroo."

"Git," Gabriella said rolling her eyes. "I mean all of us want to know if she's going to have a girl or a boy!"

"Why?" Sirius asked, "We wanted it to be a surprise!"

"Too bad!" Gabriella huffed, "Alice, Lily, and I have to throw your wife a baby shower and we need to know if she's having a boy or a girl so we know what to get her."

"Cassidy?" Sirius asked looking at his wife, "What do you think."

Cassidy smiled, "It would be nice to know what our baby will be. Then we could buy all blue things for a boy or all pink things for a girl. Then we could also pick a name."

Sirius sat beside his wife and smiled, "I agree."

"You do?" Cassidy asked amazed.

"Of course, besides it would be fun to know if you're carrying a little Marauder or a little princess."

"Okay," Cassidy said beaming. "Let's do it."

"I don't know how," Gabriella spoke up. "Besides I'm not the wiz in charms, that's Lily."

"Lily will you?" Cassidy asked.

"Of course but it has to be two people to ask," Lily spoke up.

Alice nodded, "And it has to be the two people you pick to be the godparents."

Sirius nodded, "James."

Cassidy smiled, "Good choice and I pick Lily."

"Are you sure?" James asked, "I'm not that good with babies."

"Shut up," Lily said slightly shoving him. "Of course we'd love to be your baby's godparents."

"Okay!" Sirius squealed and everyone looked at him oddly, "What!"

Lily's door opened and everyone saw Peter, "Hey Pete!" Everyone said and Peter was surprised to see everyone here, all he knew was that the Marauder's were suppose to plan the prank. When Peter didn't find the rest of the Marauder's in the common room or James's bedroom, he decided to check Lily's.

"What's going on?" Peter asked confused as everyone was cramped up in Lily's room.

"We're about to find out what Cassidy will be having," Gabriella said excitedly.

"I thought she was having a baby?" Peter asked stupidly.

"Duh," Alice said rolling her eyes at Peter. Alice had never really liked Peter and it just struck Lily.

"We're finding out if the baby will be a boy or a girl," Remus explained.

"Okay!" Cassidy yelled, "Let's do this!"

Lily explained to everyone what would happen and told James the charm as the couple said at the same time, "Paternta!" Instantly the room began to glow powder pink and all the girls gasped.

"I'm going to have a girl!" Cassidy squealed turning to Sirius and beginning to kiss him all over.

"A girl?" Sirius asked in awe, "Can we still call her Sirius Jr.?"

"No silly," Cassidy giggled as her husband held on to her loving. "Daddy's little princess huh? How about the name Aurora?"

"Wow!" Cassidy said blinking at Sirius, "That's beautiful…how did you know I liked that name?"

"No clue."

"So Aurora Marie Black?" Cassidy asked.

"Sound perfect," Sirius nodded and then turned to everyone else. "What do you guys think?"

"Love it!"

"Perfect!"

Everyone loved the fact that Cassidy was having a baby girl and that the couple had already named her. The Marauders and the girls couldn't wait for the arrival of Aurora Marie Black.


	4. NEWTs

****

Chapter 4

Before any of the Fifth and Seventh year students knew it was time for their O.W.L.s or N.E.W.T.s, and for the rest of the school their Final Exams. Everyone was nervous and on edge, especially the Seventh years as this final test would let them know if they'd be able to apply for the dream job they'd always wanted or if they'd have to work at shops for minimum wage in Diagon Alley.

James, Sirius, Alice, and Frank were determined to be Aurors and as a new law had just passed weeks ago, women didn't have only be Hit Witches they could now be Aurors. Which of course made all of the girls smile as they totally believed in equality, but none of the girls except Alice wanted to be an Auror. James and Sirius had always wanted to be an Auror, just like Harold had been, but ever since Voldemort had murdered Harold, Grace, and Sarah; they had to avenge their family's deaths. Alice had felt the same as the boys about avenging her family's death, and Frank had joined to follow in his father's footsteps but to avenge his father's death and protect the rest of his family.

As much as Lily would have loved to avenge her family's murder and losing almost everything because of that sadist Lord Voldemort, Lily knew she couldn't be an Auror. Lily had very weak ankles and knees, and there was no way that she'd be able to go through all the physical endurance you have to go through. Besides Lily had always wanted to be a Medi-witch.

Lily really didn't want to be a doctor, sure they got more money, but money didn't always bring happiness. Lily had helped Madam Pomfrey out so many times in the Hospital Wing, that Lily knew she'd only be happy as a Medi-Witch. Merlin knew Lily had all the Charms she would have to know down.

Gabriella was going to try and work at Gringotts in the back offices where all the paper work had to be done. Sure Gabby looked like a having fun, party girl, but she was really into doing numerous task and staying busy. If Gabriella got all the marks she needed she was going to start as Junior Assistant to the Manager in the bank in London. Gabriella loved feeling important and being Junior Assistant to the Manger, with all the work she'd be assigned, would defiantly make her feel important.

Remus still hadn't gotten any job offers, but he didn't figure that he'd get any as everyone, but his friends, were all terrified of him.

Cassidy wasn't going to apply for a job at this very moment as she would have the baby just a few months after they graduated school, and that Cassidy wanted to raise her child. Cassidy didn't believe in nanny's or anything like that. Cassidy would look for a job as soon as Aurora would be able to go to Preschool for the Privileged children, or in other worlds children that showed Magical Powers. All children from magical families went, even little children that it looked as if they would turn out to be a Squib. Of course some children were a bit slower with coming to their magical powers. Cassidy had actually thought about going to teach at this school once Aurora was old enough and raised.

As May began to wind down and May 28th got closer and closer, and all of the homework began to pile up more and more. Many of their fellow Seventh year students had to be rushed to the Hospital Wing for a spell to calm them down, as the N.E.W.T.s were so stressful and they hadn't even started yet! Amos Diggory had been one of the students rushed to the Hospital Wing because he was freaking out.

James said, "Serves him right, dirty bastard."

"James!" Lily said shoving her fiancée's arm, "Watch your mouth."

"I agree with him Lils," Sirius nodded while they were all eating their last meal before their first N.E.W.T.s test tomorrow, as it was the night of the 27th.

"Yeah look what he tried to do to you," Cassidy said eating almost as much as Sirius lately but then again she was eating for two now.

"I know," Lily said as she tried to shake off that feeling of how she'd been scared two years ago. "But ever since his son was born it seems as if he's…well you know changed."

Milk flew out from Sirius's nostrils which almost made Cassidy sick as she was sensitive to _everything_ now. Everyone else laughed and some poor Ravenclaw that use to, and probably still did, had a crush on Sirius got the milk sprayed all over her. Odd thing was it was if she was dancing around in the snotty milk. Everyone at the table, except Cassidy and Sirius, was laughing so hard that they had to hold on to their stomach.

"That's just wrong," Cassidy said as she began to turn the color green.

"Guess I'm still lucky with the ladies," Sirius said boosting his ego.

"Oh really?" Cassidy said turning to him and giving him her famous angry eyes.

"Well…uh…no?"

"What's going on?" Peter asked sitting on the other side of Sirius, everyone looked at him oddly as dinner had started almost a half hour ago and Peter was never one to be late for dinner.

"Where you been Pete?" Sirius said devouring down tons of food that was making all of the girls nauseated at the way he ate, like a dog. Cassidy could now eat almost as much as Sirius, as she was now eating for two, but she never ate like an animal. Cassidy Black still had class.

"What do you mean?" Peter asked looking at everyone else at the table as if they suspected him of something. True Peter wasn't a Death Eater yet, but he was seriously thinking about joining. The Dark Lord had powers of what Peter had never heard of before and if things began to get worse and worse, as it was happening now, he'd want to be on the Dark side. The Dark side looked like the only place that would win, and he had to have someone watch his back…after all Peter Pettigrew was the biggest coward.

"You're late for dinner," James said drinking some of his pumpkin juice.

"So?"

"So," Remus began to explain. "The only time you are _ever _late for dinner is if you are sick or in the hospital wing."

"Oh," Peter nodded and Lily couldn't help but notice he was sweating, Lily thought it odd but figured he probably ran to dinner. "Yeah, that…Professor Flitwick wanted to review a few things before we start N.E.W.T.s tomorrow, as we all know Charms is my worst subject.

Of course Charms was Peter's worst subject so there was no more question and Peter sighed deep inside…he didn't know if he'd be able to actually do this.

"Ugh!" Cassidy yelled starting to gag, "What in Merlin's name is that awful smell!"

"Huh?" Sirius asked looking around.

"Oh Merlin it stinks!" Cassidy then realized the smell didn't come until Peter had arrived at dinner, "Peter are you wearing some new deodorant or cologne?"

"Oh yeah," Peter smiled. "Like it?"

"NO!" Cassidy said as she felt her stomach churning and starting to rise up her thoart, "Crap! I'm going to be sick!" Cassidy ran out of the Great Hall and Peter looked upset that Cassidy thought his cologne smelled so bad. Hell, Bellatrix said it smelled so manly.

"Don't worry about her Pete," Sirius said patting his friend on the shoulder. "Your cologne doesn't smell as bad as she's making it out to be."

"Then why is she being so dramatic?"

Sirius laughed so hard he couldn't talk and it was Remus to explain to Peter, "Peter she's pregnant."

"Yeah…so? Everyone knows that."

"Well pregnant women are very sensitive to smells and tastes, and if it doesn't approve to their senses then they get really sick."

"Okay?" Peter nodded slowly.

"In other words," Gabriella spoke up. "She's been like this for a while and she'll be like this until she has Aurora."

"Such a pretty name," Alice said smiling and turning to Sirius. "You guys picked out such a beautiful name."

"Potter, Evans," Professor McGonagall had approached the table and Lily and James were surprised to see her there.

"Yes Professor?" They asked at the same time.

"Professor Dumbledore needs to talk to the two of you after dinner in his office."

James nodded and Lily replied, "Of course."

After dinner James and Lily split up from their friends as Head Boy and Girl headed towards the Headmaster's office. Both Lily and James wondered what their Headmaster needed with them the night before N.E.W.T.s started. The rest of the gang had headed back up to their dormitories to finish studying for their first two N.E.W.T.s tomorrow, Potions in the morning both written and practical. Then after lunch they would have their Herbology N.E.W.T. tomorrow, of course both written and practical.

Lily had hoped that herself and James would get a little more studying done before they went to bed tonight, but it depended on what the Headmaster needed from them.

Once Lily and James had entered Dumbledore's office, he smiled at them. "Take a seat," Dumbledore said motioning towards the seats in front of his desk.

"Professor," Lily spoke up. "I don't mean to be rude or anything but will this take long? James and I were hoping to get a little more studying done for our Potion and Herbology N.E.W.T. that we are to take tomorrow."

"I won't keep the two of you long Miss Evans, I promise." Lily nodded but James noticed she blushed a bit which was totally cute from his point of view, but when Dumbledore began to speak James had to take his attention away from his beautiful fiancée to his Headmaster. "As the two of you have from first hand experience Lord Voldemort is getting stronger.

Both Lily and James nodded to this as Voldemort had killed both of their families and Dumbledore went on. "The stronger Voldemort is getting, the more followers he's getting. From what I've heard he was almost over fifty followers and a good majority of his followers are sixth and seventh year Slytherin students. Now of course not every student from Slytherin has turned over but there has been a good share."

"What are we to do Professor?" James asked as he'd always been against Dark Wizards and Witches, as his parents had been. James wanted to be the death of Voldemort, as he'd been the death of so many others including both James and Lily's family.

"Myself and other friends in the Ministry of Magic have decided to form kind of a secret society to help take down Voldemort and his followers. It shall be called The Order of the Phoenix. We will start the first meeting three days after graduation and I was wondering…"

"I'm defiantly interested Professor," James spoke up. "Put my name down."

"Mine too," Lily nodded.

Professor Dumbledore smiled, "Good. We will need a good Auror and Mediwitch on our side. I will be talking to other students I feel trustworthy about this secret society, but I must ask you not to say a word about The Order until then. I will inform you of the meeting soon and where it will be."

"Yes sir," both Lily and James nodded.

"Good luck tomorrow," Dumbledore said as a goodbye and both Lily and James as they thanked him as they left their Headmaster's office.

Lily and James got back to their Common Room and saw that they needed to get to bed in three hours. So they'd study Potions for an hour, Herbology for another hour, and then they'd each take thirty minute showers.

By hour three when the showers started James sighed, "Thank goodness."

"Huh?" Lily stopped in her steps as she was headed to the bathroom.

"Just glad we're done studying."

"For tonight."

"Yeah," James said with a sarcastic tone.

"Tuesday we have Charms and Muggle Studies, Wednesday Defense Against the Dark Arts and Astronomy, Thursday Care of the Magical Creatures and Arithmacy, and on Friday Transfiguration and Divination."

"Ugh!" James said gagging.

"Good thing we don't take every elective," Lily giggled.

"Merlin knows it," James nodded as Lily walked towards their bathroom so she could take her shower and be out in time for James to take his shower too.

Lily tapped the shower head to get the correct temperature and Lily sighed as she felt the very warm water wash all the daily toxins off of her porcelain skin. The familiar strawberry scented shampoo and conditioner brought a smile to Lily's face as she also used her strawberry scented body soap. Was it that obvious that Lily loved strawberries?

A while later Lily heard a knocking on the bathroom door, "Lily? Lily!" Lily had been staring off in space and James's masculine voice brought her down from her dream land, "Lily are you okay? You've been in there for a while."

Lily turned off the shower and began to dry her body off, "Sorry James…I kind of just spaced out." Lily yelled through the wooden bathroom door, "What time is it?"

"Ten minutes to eleven."

"Oh crap!" Lily met James at the bathroom door, Lily had her bathrobe around her body and her hair was still up in a towel. "I'm so sorry that my shower took forever…."

"Na," James shrugged. "I don't need more than ten minutes anyways, it's you ladies that need fifty minutes in the shower." Lily blushed and James chuckled at how the pinkish color made her look even more amazing, "Meet me in my room at eleven?"

"Okay," Lily said kissing James's soft lips and heading off to her respectable bedroom to get dressed.

Five minutes after eleven James opened up Lily's bedroom door to ask her what was taking her so long and smiled as he saw his lovely Lily Flower asleep on her bed. James picked her up and pulled back the covers, and as her bed was as big as James's…well James just decided to sleep in Lily's room with her tonight instead of his usual room.

__

Morning of the 28th…

When Lily and James arrived at the Great Hall thirty minutes before their first N.E.W.T. started Lily couldn't help but laugh as she saw that Sirius had fallen back asleep in his eggs but Cassidy made no attempt to waking her husband up.

"What's up with Padfoot?" James asked eating some toast.

Cassidy rolled her eyes as she ate oatmeal, "He demanded on studying all night and now he's too tired to take the bloody test!"

"Wow!" Lily blinked as she ate fruit for breakfast today, "Sirius actually worried about how much he's studied? I'm surprised."

"As surprised as the rest of us were," Alice nodded eating her pancakes.

"Yeah," Gabriella giggled. "I thought for sure that Cassidy's water would break early by the shock she experienced last night."

Cassidy laughed and Peter looked at them oddly, "So what if her water broke? She could always come down to the kitchens and get a new one."

All the girls, James, and Remus began to laugh hard and couldn't stop, "What!" Peter asked angry that he was the butt of another joke.

"Peter, Cassidy can't just go get her another water." Sirius said with his face in his oatmeal, which made the others laugh even harder. The fact that Sirius Black wasn't asleep and was fully awake and knew that he was laying in his breakfast.

"And why not?"

"The water that their talking about is the water that protects the baby in Cassidy's abdomen and the only way it will break is if her mucus plug is moved…that's what they mean the water breaks…that means the baby is coming."

Peter looked disgusted as soon as Sirius said 'mucus plug,' which made all of the others laugh all over again, well all but Peter and Sirius. Peter because he hated being laughed at and Sirius because he was too tired to laugh at Peter.

At nine, the seventh year students reentered the Great Hall to take their first N.E.W.T. test, Potions. Then there would be lunch and after lunch would be the Herbology N.E.W.T.

At Lunch all of the gang was so exhausted from the long and nasty exam, that none of them even talked to one another during lunch. In fact as Lily ate her lunch and just happened to look around the lunch room, she noticed that none of the seventh years were speaking.

As they began to leave to wait in the Entrance Hall for the Great Hall to be turned back into a testing hall, Sirius groaned. "I don't think I have enough energy left for this next exam."

Lily would have told him it was because he stayed up all night the night before studying, but even though she'd gotten sleep she totally agreed with him.

"Just stay strong," James said to everyone but it sounded as if he was trying to encourage himself too. "Just another test today."

"Yeah and a hell of a lot more for the rest of the week," Cassidy said bitterly. Sirius would have told Cassidy to watch her mouth around the baby, but he was to tired to say another bloody word.

Dinner time was as quiet as lunch had been and Lily noticed that all the fifth years, who'd been taking their O.W.L.s, looked as tired as the seventh years looked now. After dinner was over, at seven, all but Lily and James headed towards Gryffindor common room as Lily and James headed towards their common room for more studying for tomorrows N.E.W.T.s

Lily was so happy when it was time for her to take her shower, as much as Lily loved Charms, she was so tired of studying for it and Muggle Studies.

"Don't take fifty minutes again," James meant as a joke but you couldn't hear his sense of humor and Lily just nodded.

Thirty minutes later, Lily was out of the shower and James was in. When James got out of the shower and dressed, he found Lily asleep in her covers that night and crawled in with her.

The routine followed the same way up until Friday and Friday evening, everyone looked a lot happier. True everyone had been testing all week, but the first through fourth and sixth years were lucky with not having to take O.W.L.s or N.E.W.T.s. The fifth and seventh years looked so eager to have their exams over with.

"Thank goodness you and James planned a Hogsmede weekend next week," Alice said smiling as she looked as exhausted as the rest of her friends. "I really need it." Everyone at the table agreed.

Even though Lily and James didn't have another exam the next day, as soon as they got back to their common room they took their showers separately and as soon as they were done they crashed in Lily's bedroom again. Both fell into a happy slumber knowing that there were no more N.E.W.T.s to take _ever_ and that tomorrow was Saturday and they could sleep in as much as they wanted without being disturbed.


	5. Hogsmede

****

Chapter 5

All the girls and Marauder's were excited that the Hogsmede weekend was today!

Lily had picked out her wedding gown, bridesmaid dresses, and the guys tuxes.

"James," Lily spoke to her him, pleading. "All I ask of you guys is to measured for your tuxes. Do it first and then you have the entire day with the rest of the guys. Please don't mess this up! This means the world to me!"

"I promise Lily," Sirius said coming from behind James. "We will get measured for your cruddy wedding."

"Sirius," Lily began to growl at him.

"We will go Lily," Remus said reassuring the soon-to-be-bride.

"Before you _ever_ step one toe into Zonko's."

"Lily!" Sirius began to whimper.

"No Lily is right," James nodded agreeing with his fiancée. "Our wedding comes before the prank of the century."

Sirius gasped, "How could you ever say that!"

"Sirius," Cassidy said warning Sirius while her eyes flashed.

"Where Peter? We have go to get a move on so we can get on with this prank!"

"We are going to look like bloody penguins!" Sirius howled.

"Stuff it Padfoot," James growled. "This is what Lily wants and Lily gets whatever she wants."

"Sure," Sirius said winking at Peter and Remus. "Lily gets whatever she wants materialistically, but poor Prongs doesn't get what he wants with Lily in bed."

James turned around to Sirius looking the color of Lily's hair, you could tell James was angry. Peter, Sirius, and Remus's laughs stopped, "That's not funny." James growled, "Besides Lily wants to wait and I'll wait for her."

Sirius began to gag, "How sweet."

"Okay Mr. Potter," the young lady that had been measuring the four boys spoke. "I have got all of your measurements. You can go now. You can come and pick your tuxes up the day before your wedding."

James nodded and his friends followed James out of the store.

"Finally!" Sirius yelled as they began to walk to the main street of Hogsmede. "Now on our way to Zonko's!"

There was a scream followed by others and the guys stopped.

"What in bloody hell could that be?" Sirius asked as he looked at all of his friends. Remus looked lost, James looked scared, and Sirius overlooked Peter starting to perspire as worry.

Then there was the first scream again, but this time the guys could make it out to be very high pitched. All the guys went rigid and James screamed, "Lily!"

James began to run the fastest that he would ever run in his entire life with Remus and Sirius close behind. They wouldn't notice Peter missing until later on.

Then there was another two screams. Lily's and then a new one.

"Cass!" Sirius yelled and began to catch up with James.

The three boys ran as fast as they could and when they made it to the main street of Hogsmede the three of them were just in awe.

Death Eaters were everywhere and there were plenty of students and shop keepers trying to throw the Death Eaters off. James turned to look at Sirius and Remus, they nodded in a silent agreement. Throw whatever curse came to your mind to the Death Eater in front of you and find the girls as soon as possible. The three Marauder's knew all the passage ways from Hogsmede to Hogwarts and they'd make the girls follow them. As they began to walk all the guys had a hit to the gut, there was Alice laying on the ground unconscious.

"What do we do?" Sirius asked anxiously, you could tell he really needed to find Cassidy.

James picked Alice up from the ground and threw her over his shoulder, "Let's go!"

"Can you still run with Alice on your back?"

"I'm going to have to until we find Frank," James said beginning to jog with Alice over his shoulder.

Remus and Sirius ran with James. Remus ran in front of James to protect not only Alice but James too. Sirius took up the rear also watching out for James and Alice. James had one arm around Alice's legs and the other hand had his wand and James threw curses and hexes to anyone James saw would try and attack him.

There was another scream and turned his head a bit to see James's eyes tearing up, and Remus had to agree with what James was thinking. That scream that they'd heard three times sounded a lot like Lily.

"James!" The three boys stopped to see Frank with cuts everywhere, bleeding and obviously had a broken wrist. Frank's eyes bugged out when he saw his wife unconscious over James's shoulder, "Alice!"

Sirius was throwing curses with Remus as James handed Frank's wife over to him, "Go in Honeydukes with Alice and go to the back storage room. There will be a trapdoor in the storage room and then you will begin to go up a lot of stairs with Alice. Will you be able to carry her with that broken wrist?"

"I'll have to," Frank said and cast a spell to put a splint on his wrist. "This will do for now, give me Alice."

"Follow the instructions I gave you and inform the first teacher you come in contact with that Hogsmede has been attacked by Death Eaters."

"Have you seen Lily?"

James shook his head no to Frank's question, "What about Gabriella or Cassidy?"

"No we are going to go look for them, you get Alice taken care of."

"Good luck James."

James nodded at his good friend, "Good luck Frank."

"James," Sirius yelled not turning away from the Death Eaters as he threw tons of curses and hexes with Remus beside him. "We've got to move it. We have got to find the girls and this is like the main area where all the Death Eaters are."

"Alright let's go," James nodded and the three friends walked side by side throwing curses off, blocking, and hexing people. The three friends even had to battle with other Death Eaters on and off, which of course made the hunt for the girls even move hard.

"Where are they?" Sirius yelled out to his friends after a while of throwing curses left and right so they could get to the girls as soon as possible.

"I have no idea," James said worried.

"We've gone through a good amount of area, we've got to come upon them soon." Remus said looking back and forth for at least one of the girls. Redhead, blonde, or black would be perfect about now.

Lily's screams erupted through the cold chilling air now and they could tell they were defiantly closer.

"Sirius," the guys heard groaning beside them and Sirius looked over to see a Death Eater throwing curses at her.

"_Crucio_!" The Death Eater spat at Sirius wife.

Sirius yelled the disarming charm and, "Incantum Finite!" Sirius threw the body binding curse to the Death Eater and his hood fell off, the Death Eater had been none other than his younger brother.

"Bastard," Sirius growled but heard Cassidy beginning to cry and Sirius looked down to her. "Cass?"

"Get me out of here," Cassidy said holding on to her stomach gasping between each word.

Sirius nodded and carried his pregnant wife out of Hogsmede throwing curses whenever he needed. Even in the horrible pain Cassidy Black was experiencing she still repelled Death Eaters away as they too took the Honeydukes way to Hogwarts.

"We've got to find Lily and Gabriella," Remus spoke up.

James nodded with determination upon his face, "We have found both Cassidy and Alice hurt. I am afraid of what shape we'll find Lily and Gabriella in." James yelled back at one of his best friends as they dogged curses, threw their own, repelled hexes and curses, as he looked for the one person he had left in this cruel world.

Living without Lily would be like telling James he would never be able to breath again. If James lost Lily, he would start cutting again and bleed to death. Remus flinched at the thought of this. Everyone knew how much Lily meant to James and vise versa. Lily was the only one to take James away from that awful place he had fallen into after the death of his family. Then again James was the only one to be able to get through Lily. James and Lily were perfect for one another.

There had been two Death Eaters that had been fighting with Lily and Gabriella for seemed like hours. Gabriella has passed out it seemed like an hour ago, but in reality it had only been about five minutes. Lily was about to collapse with Gabriella though. Lily had blood trickling down her face. There were cuts and bruises all over from where Lily had the Cruico curse thrown on her over and over again. The Death Eaters had gotten pretty mad when they found out the Imperius Curse didn't work on this brilliant witch.

Lily was afraid of what had happened to Alice, Frank, Sirius, Peter, Remus, Cassidy and the baby, and most of all what had happened to James. How would her friends be? Would Lily have to attend all of their futures soon. Lily didn't know what she would do if she had to put James into the ground, as she had to put so many other loved ones.

Lily needed help, she needed an Auror or someone who had much more strength than her. All of Lily's strength was up. Lily didn't think she'd be able to keep these two Death Eaters off of herself and Gabriella much longer.

Lily heard a voice yell, "Stupefy! Stay away from her bastard!" Lily knew that herself and Gabriella were saved. Lily passed out from exhaustion and could have sworn she heard someone cry her name.

__

"Stupefy!" James heard Lily yell but you could hear her exhaustion. "Stay away from her you bastard!"

James saw Lily fall to the ground and James yelled, "Lily!"

Remus grabbed James's arm with his free hand as he began to battle with one of the Death Eaters, "Not now!" Remus screamed between curses, "They are safe if we can…Eat Slugs!…throw these losers off!"

James nodded, "Stupefy!" The curse was blocked and James ducked just in time too, because it hit another Death Eater that was behind James.

James heard Remus throw the body bind curse and the Death Eater went down, but Remus was too busy to go and look who the Death Eater had been. Death Eaters were surrounding both Remus and James.

Anyone else would have thought this was the end, except for a true Marauder. Remus and James just treated this as their practical N.E.W.T. Soon Death Eaters were starting to drop and suddenly Aurors apparated to Hogsmede. Death Eaters began to apparate away or fight the Aurors.

James picked Lily up while Remus picked Gabriella up. If only James or Remus had checked to see who the Death Eaters were, Lily and James's lives would finally be out of danger.

In fact the Death Eaters that had been attacking Gabriella and Lily forever had been none other than that resident bitch Bellatrix Black and her disgusting secret lover Peter Pettigrew. Yes the same Peter Pettigrew that was suppose to be a true Gryffindor and a Marauder. Instead this horrible traitor was trying to kill off what was suppose to be his best two best friends fiancée and girlfriend.

The Death Eater attack in Hogsmede ended up having a lot of students in the Hospital Wing and poor Madam Pomfrey was running around like a chicken with it's head cut off. Usually in a crazy manor like this Lily Evans was there to help Madam Pomfrey, but unfortunately Lily Evans had been a victim in this attack.

Frank's broken wrist had been mended up in about two seconds. Alice was suffering from a concussion and Alice had had a broken ankle. Alice had her ankle mended but Frank was told by Madam Pomfrey to watch his young wife like a hawk because of the concussion. Alice was ordered to stay with Frank at all time, and yes in fact they would be sleeping in one of the guest suites so Frank could keep his eye on Alice.

Gabriella had a lot of trauma to the brain, lots of bruises and cuts, she had lost a lot of blood. The outcome for Gabriella didn't look good at all, in fact Gabriella had been transferred over to St. Mungo's. Remus was able to stay with Gabby in the hospital but that was all. Because Remus had been learning the Spanish language, Remus owled Gabby's mum. Remus also comforted Gabby's mum when she showed up at the hospital.

Lily also had lost a lot of blood, in fact when James had showed up to the Hospital Wing everyone thought it was both of their blood. Lily's shirt was a deep red that matched her hair, and James's white shirt was also now the color of Lily's hair. Lily had many bruises and cuts, which had all been mended. Lily was hooked up to a bag of blood, and if she took to it she would be fine. It would be difficult for Lily to walk for a while and Madam Pomfrey was even going to tell Professor Dumbledore that it might be a good idea to enchant a Muggle wheelchair for Lily. Lily would need tons of rest as she was mentally and physically exhausted. Lily wasn't in a coma but she'd been sleeping an awful long time. Madam Pomfrey kept reassuring James that Lily would be okay, but she was just tired and to let Lily get all the sleep that she could get.

James had a few cuts, scrapes, and bruises. Nothing major and he had gotten his glasses mended back together. James and Remus didn't have to battle that much before the Aurors had showed up and then the guys ran off with the girls to get treatment for them as soon as possible.

Remus had a few bruises and a big gash across his forehead.

Sirius only had a few scratches as he got out of there quickly with Cassidy.

Cassidy was banged up pretty badly, but Cassidy was suffering from depression. Cassidy had the '_Crucio_' curse thrown on her a few times which would have been fine if she hadn't been pregnant. Cassidy had to end up giving birth to a stillborn baby girl and then Cassidy began to bleed horribly after having Aurora Marie Black. They stopped the bleeding and now Cassidy just needed to heal physically and emotionally. Both Sirius and Cassidy grieved for their baby girl. The baby that would never grow in front of their eyes, the baby that they would never teach to do cute little things, and the baby that they'd never give a younger baby brother or sister.

The students that weren't hurt or injured were sent home immediately. There would be Quidditch Finals and the day that they left Professor Dumbledore announced that Gryffindor had won the House Cup. Professor Dumbledore was letting James, and Sirius stay with their loved ones. Lily would be able to go home in a few days and while Lily had been sleeping James had sold his mother's estate in Milan and bought the cute little house that he had told Lily about. They would be living in Godric's Hollow.

Cassidy and Sirius had already left and James had told Sirius that they could stay in the spare bedroom until they found a place. Cassidy and Sirius were able to stay in the Head Compartment on the train ride home from Hogwarts as James had given Sirius the password to get in. Dumbledore and the Governors of the school had decided planning a big graduation would attract Voldemort and Death Eaters again. So the graduating class would be sent their diplomas which was fine with James, he just wanted Lily to be able to go home.

Cassidy was ordered to stay in bed until she was healed and Cassidy listened to these rules because she really didn't get out of bed as she kept crying her eyes out about losing her baby. Of course Sirius was upset about losing their daughter, but Sirius couldn't do anything to cheer her up. Cassidy would only let Sirius hold her, but anytime he tried to kiss her Cassidy would turn away.

Sirius tried to sympathize with Cassidy but she wouldn't even speak to him. Cassidy was grieving over their dead daughter. Sirius was afraid he would not only lose his baby daughter but now also his wife. If Cassidy went on like this she would grieve herself to death.

Two days later Lily and James showed up in their cottage to see a scruffy looking, worn out Sirius asleep on the couch.

"Padfoot?" James asked and Sirius jumped up.

"Oh good, you guys are home."

"Why are you down here?"

Sirius sighed and ran his hands through his hair frustrated. "Cassidy won't let me anywhere near her. I think she's going to leave me. Bloody hell I've already lost my daughter, I feel as if I'll lose my wife next! We'll be putting Aurora into the ground tomorrow. You guys are coming right."

Lily nodded and James spoke for her, "Of course."

"Do you want me to speak to her?" Lily said very hoarse.

"No thanks," Sirius said shaking his head. "She's sleeping now. Just let Cassidy get her rest."

"You going to be okay mate?" James asked looking at his best friend with lots of worry.

"Yeah. You guys need some sleep too, go ahead. I'm going to crash on the couch again."

"Okay," James nodded and James and Lily headed up the stairs and to their bedroom.

"James, Lily?" Sirius asked as they reached the top stair and James turned around.

"Yeah?"

"I want to go visit Gabriella tonight and see how Remus is keeping up, you guys coming?"

James looked at Lily and she nodded, "Yeah. What time do you want to go?"

"Visiting hours end at seven, I say we go at six."

"Alright."

Peter Pettigrew had almost been found out by his 'best friends' that he was indeed the enemy, a Death Eater. Peter had tried to rid his friend James of that Mudblood whore, but of course James had to come to her bloody rescue. That Spaniard had just gotten in the way, besides Bellatrix loved torturing her. Peter had heard that Sirius's younger brother had made Cassidy lose the baby. Hopefully she would be over come with so much grieve that she would leave his friend alone. The Spaniard was on the thin line of living and from what Peter had heard the trauma to the brain was healing but they were worried about her heart. Hopefully the Mudblood would have been so scared of what evil held for her that she would run back to where she belonged, Muggle land. Maybe one day Peter would even be the death of her, oh that would be so sweet. Peter had heard that Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy had attack Alice Longbottom because she was a blood traitor by befriending a Mudblood.

Unfortunately all of Peter's pathetic friends stood by their loved ones. Peter didn't give a damn about Alice or Frank. Honestly Peter really never liked Frank, so Frank could end up dead for all Peter cared.

James wouldn't leave the Mudblood, Sirius was standing by his grieve stricken wife, and Remus held on for Gabriella to survive. Honestly Peter hoped he would be the death of all of these friendship wreckers.


	6. Paralyzed

****

Chapter 6

James and Sirius were outside of the house, in the backyard playing a bit of Quidditch together. James figured it would calm Sirius down a bit.

Lily had to admit this house was wonderful and the backyard was huge and covered with trees, so the guys could always fly around. The neighborhood was just so adorable it looked like a neighborhood out of a picture book. Godric's Hollow, the neighborhood even had a cute little name.

Lily looked outside to see the guys still playing Quidditch outside and Lily snuck upstairs. As this was the first time Lily had ever been in this house she had no idea where the bathroom was, spare bedrooms, and the master bedroom.

Behind room number one was a little bathroom, the second door was a spare bedroom that was empty, but behind door number three was another spare bedroom. In this second spare bedroom there were trunks on the side of the room with clothes everywhere and a distraught Cassidy O'Brian-Black collapsed upon the full sized bed.

"Cassidy?"

"Not now," came a muffled response.

Lily closed the door behind herself but she said in the room, "Cassidy."

Cassidy pulled her face out of the pillow that it had been in and turned to look at Lily. Lily knew that Cassidy would be of course upset but she didn't expect to see Cassidy so splotchy and with baggy eyes. Even though Cassidy was always the tomboy, Cassidy always looked flawless…even when she was pregnant.

"Damn it Lily, leave me alone!"

"No," Lily said shaking her head and sitting beside Lily throwing her arms around her best friend.

"I said go away!" Cassidy said trying to shove Lily away but Lily just held on tighter. "Go away! Go away!" Cassidy was sobbing so hard now that Lily was crying with her best friend. "Damn it you conniving bitch! Leave me alone. I hate you! I hate you! Damn it I hate you!"

"No you don't," Lily said holding on to her best friend. Cassidy was hurting and Lily would let Cassidy say whatever harmful words she wanted to say. Cassidy was hurting as she had just lost her baby a few days ago in that horrible Death Eater attack. "You don't hate me Cassidy, I'm your best friend."

"No!" Cassidy said still trying to shove Lily away.

"You love me and I love you Cassidy. We are best friends and I won't let you tear yourself apart. You are pushing Sirius away."

"Go away!"

"No!" Lily screamed back at her best friend, "You lost Aurora and if you don't watch it you will lose Sirius too. Not by death but because you are pushing him away."

"I hate you Lily!"

"No you don't you love me now shut the bloody hell up and listen to me!" Lily said hugging her best friend as tightly as she could. "You aren't going to push me away nor Sirius. You are killing yourself Cassie, please let us in!"

Cassidy nodded, "You're right. Sirius and you are right," Cassidy sobbed into her best friend's shoulder. "I want my baby! I want my baby! I want my baby!" Cassidy screamed into her best friend's shoulder.

Someone tapped Lily's shoulder and Lily turned around to see Cassidy's husband. Lily nodded and she let Sirius take off from where she was at.

"Take care of her Sirius."

"Don't worry, I will."

Lily nodded and let the couple alone to grieve their lost baby.

Lily closed the bedroom door behind her and met James's hazel eyes staring at her in the hallway, "You know Sirius told you told to leave Cassidy alone."

"And?"

"I'm glad you didn't listen to him," James said wrapping his arms around Lily.

"Me too," Lily said burrowing her head into James's chest.

"She'll be okay, I promise." James said kissing the top of Lily's head.

At ten to six that night Lily and James were standing in the living room getting ready to go to visit Gabriella at St. Mungo's.

"You guys ready?" Sirius asked coming down the stairs looking at his best friends in front of him.

"What about Cassidy?" James asked.

"Oh she'll be down in a moment."

"She is coming?" Lily asked hopeful as they needed to get Cassidy out of that room, the only way Cassidy would get over losing her baby girl is she would let herself get over the death of her baby girl.

"Yeah," Sirius nodded. "She's worried about Gabriella…"

"We all are," James nodded.

"How is Cassie doing?"

Sirius sighed, "As well to be expected Lils. I would be as upset as she is but I've got to be strong for her. A parent should never have to put their child in the ground, it's suppose to be the other way around. We just have to be there for her all the time."

Lily nodded, "Is she going to try to get a job or…"

"Nope," Cassidy said shaking her head coming down the stairs. "Sirius and I have agreed to try for another baby. Yes before we were surprised about me being pregnant," Cassidy's eyes began to tear up. "But once we knew we were going to be parents we were thrilled."

Sirius threw his arm around his wife and pulling her close, "Yeah. We really want to be a Mummy and Daddy, so we're going to try again for another baby."

"You don't think you should try and wait a bit…I mean you…"

"Lily," Cassidy said gritting her teeth. "Quit nagging just this once, please!"

Lily turned to James but the look that he gave her Lily just swallowed down her feelings. Lily loved the idea of Sirius and Cassidy going to try to have another baby but they had just lost Aurora days ago and they are ready to just try for a new baby as soon as possible…it was just odd.

St. Mungo's Hospital was packed but then again the attack on Hogsmede the other day had been horrible, in fact Lily was still having nightmares about it. If it hadn't been for James finding her the other day, Lily knew for sure that she would be dead. That thought still haunted Lily and every time Lily thought about it, she hugged onto James as tightly as she could.

"Can I help you?" The nurse at the nurse's station asked.

"We need to know what floor Miss Martinez is…"

"James! Sirius!" Sirius, James, Cassidy, and Lily turned around to see Remus.

Lily and Cassidy ran over to their good friend to give him a huge hug, and Remus took the hug.

"How are you doing?" Lily asked pulling back to look her good friend straight in the eyes.

"I could be better."

"We understand," Cassidy said looking at Remus and nodding.

"You should be a home resting," Remus said looking at Cassidy seriously. "You've been through a real tragedy."

"I'll get over it, time will heal my tragedy. I need to see my friend."

Remus's face got serious, "They are only letting family in."

"What!" Lily and Cassidy yelled.

"Why?" James said joining the girls and Remus.

"Afraid of another Death Eater attack on her."

"But we'd never attack Gabby," Sirius said taking his wife in his arms.

"I know that, but they will only let family in."

"Wait," Lily's emerald green eyes grew very large. "Have you even seen her at all?"

"Yes," Remus smiled kindly. "The Healers said that since we are engaged that I am considered family, but they usually don't even allow this."

"So why are they?" Peter asked coming out from behind them.

"Pete!" James and Sirius yelled at the same time, happy to see their friend.

"Hey Peter," Remus smiled kindly. "Well first they didn't believe me and so Gabby's mum slipped the ring on her finger and then told the Healers and they allowed me in. It really doesn't look as if Gabriella is going to survive."

"What!" Someone screamed from behind them, which turned out to be Alice. Frank held tightly to Alice as Alice began to sob.

"I'll get us in," James spoke up.

"How?" Lily asked as tears were falling down her face.

"I am a Potter after all," James glowed as he ran his hand through his hair.

"Potter," Lily growled and everyone began to laugh at Lily's face. First off the look in Lily's eyes was priceless, about as priceless as James's reaction to hear his fiancée say '_Potter_' in that tone again. "We don't need your egotistical shit right now, our friend is practically on her bloody death bed!"

"No Lily, James is right." Sirius spoke up but no one saw Peter swear.

"What do you mean?" Alice asked between a small sob.

"My great, great, great, great and some more greats most likely was the founder of this hospital."

"What are you going on about Potter?" Cassidy said growling a lot like Sirius's Animagus, Padfoot growl.

"On my mum's side of the family, Gregory Mungo. Mum's maiden name was Mungo, she was actually the last Mungo. Really old Wizarding family that died out, the Mungo blood line will be in all Potter children, but you'll never hear the name again. In fact since my parents have decided and my little sister too, I believe Sirius and I have all ownership to the hospital. Come on Padfoot."

An hour later, when visiting hours were actually suppose to be over, the gang was in Gabriella's hospital room. Alice, Cassidy, and Lily almost broke in tears at the state that Gabriella was in. There were all kind of machines hooked up to Gabriella and as Remus had said, Gabriella truly didn't look as if she was going to make it.

"Remus, where is Mrs. Martinez?" Lily asked.

"She went home for the night. She goes home every night and prays, she knows I'm here with Gabby and if something happens I'll Floo her as soon as possible.

"Tell her we send our love," Cassidy said biting her lips.

"Has she woken up?" Alice said as tears were slipping down her face.

"No," Remus said shaking his head and looking at Gabriella with a sense of longing.

"You know that when you need rest you can stay at our house," Lily offered. "We have two spare bedrooms. One is being used by Cassidy and Sirius until they find a place, but we still have one extra room."

"Thanks Lily."

"No Lily's right," James said stepping up and wrapping his arms around his fiancée. "If Gabby's mum wants to stay with her one night, you can come stay with us."

Remus began to fidget, "I'm worried. Next week is a full moon and I won't be able to be here. Of course Mrs. Martinez knows and she said she'll be here, but do you think the four of us could go to the Shrieking Shack?"

"Of course," James nodded.

"Yeah," Sirius said smiling from ear to ear. "Wait…Gabby's mum knows and didn't go nuts?"

"Nope," Remus said smiling. "She accepts me for who I am, in fact one of Gabby's uncles was a Werewolf. He actually died when Gabriella was about four."

"Wow, that's fantastic Remus." Alice said smiling at her good friend.

There was a groaning from the other side of the room as everyone turned to see that it was Gabriella.

"What's going on?" Alice asked as she looked anxious with her other three best friends.

"Oh that," Remus sighed sadly. "Gabriella's been doing that on and off, but I wish she could talk."

"Lily?" Lily turned around to see James looking at his watch, "I hate to say this love but it's getting really late. I got us an extension for being here to see Gabby, but we can't stay in here horrible late."

"I understand James," Lily said nodding and all of her friends agreed with Lily and James. "Let's go you guys," Lily went up and hugged James tightly again. "Keep in touch with us Remus."

"Of course."

James crawled in the queen size bed that Lily and he would be sharing in their Master Bedroom. James laid on his back and Lily curled up to rest her head on James's chest as he wrapped his arms around her waist.

"Do you think that Remus will be okay?"

"Yeah," James spoke.

"Even if Remus loses Gabriella?" Lily asked sitting up so she could look James into his beautiful hazel eyes.

"I have no idea," James said shaking his head holding Lily close to him. "I know that if I was in his place and it was you on the verge of death, well I would be a wreck."

"Remus is, but he's just not showing it in front of us. What's going to happen to him if he loses Gabriella?"

"I honestly have no idea," James said truthfully.

Cassidy sobbed the entire time with Sirius holding on to his dear wife at their unborn daughter's funeral. Sirius had tears leaking down his face but refused to let the attention brought to him.

Alice and Frank sat there wordless and Alice was afraid that they'd be sitting in a church like this soon in Spain for her best friend's funeral.

Lily was crying and James held on to his wife tightly. James was wondering what was going to happen next, it just seemed as if everything went wrong for them and their friends.

Remus hadn't showed up as he was still sitting beside Gabriella's hospital bed.

Peter was no where to be seen, he'd said that he had family in Albania that he had to visit. Sirius was honestly angry at his friend, why would Peter go see family over saying goodbye to the little girl that Sirius was suppose to bounce on his knee.

It was the day before the full moon and the girls went to visit Gabriella.

There was Remus Lupin sitting in Gabriella's hospital room, alone.

"Remus?"

"Please go away Lily."

"W…what happened?" Alice asked starting to cry.

"What do you mean what happened?" A very familiar girl asked wheeling herself out of the bathroom.

"**GABBY**!" Alice, Cassidy, and Lily screamed.

"Shh!" Gabriella giggled and she blushed at the attention she was giving them.

"You act as if I was dying."

"You were!" Alice said biting her lip.

"Well, I'm fine now."

"What is that contraption you're in?" Cassidy asked looking from Gabriella to Remus.

"I know what that is," Lily spoke up but she looked oddly from Gabriella to Remus. "But why are you in…unless…"

"You guys might want to sit down," Gabriella said from in the chair she was sitting in and her friends refused to sit down.

"Just say it Gabby," Alice said on the verge of tears again. "Are we going to be losing you in like three seconds or something?"

"I'm paralyzed."

"What!"

"Yeah," Gabriella said looking extremely sad. "That is why Lily recognizes this contraption, it's a Muggle wheelchair. I had a lot of trauma on my brain, most of it where it makes your legs mobile. The Healers say I will most likely never walk again."

"Gabby."

"No, don't take pity in me."

"When do you get out?" Lily asked.

"Two days before your wedding, but the aisle for the church…I don't think my chair will fit."

"Oh."

"So I am delighted that you wanted me to be a bridesmaid, but unfortunately I have to decline the honor of being your bridesmaid."

"Oh, okay." Lily said nodding.

"I can't let you sit in the audience all by yourself," Alice spoke up. "You can't be the only of Lily's friends."

"Wait!" Lily yelled, "Now everyone is dropping out of my wedding!"

"It's not like that," Gabby spoke up.

"No I know, it's really okay."

"So just Cassidy up there with me."

"So then we should just have Sirius up there in the penguin suit with James," Remus spoke up.

"Well, I'm guessing you don't like the tuxes?"

"I don't like formal wear period, and if I can sit down in formal wear is even better."

"Okay," Lily nodded smiling. "Just Cassidy and Sirius, unless you two want to drop out too Cassidy."

"Don't even think about it Lily," Cassidy said winking at her best friend. "Besides you always said you wanted your wedding party to be small, I mean how did we know that you would be blessed with so many friends."

"Okay," Lily smiled. "That means that we need to go to get our dresses later today as the wedding is in a week and a half."

"So your colors are still hunter green correct?" Gabriella asked as Remus helped Gabriella back into her hospital bed.

"Yes, why?"

"Because we are still going to wear your colors," Alice said as if it was so obvious. "Just because we won't be standing beside you doesn't mean that we won't wear that beautiful color you picked out."

"Precisely," Gabriella said nodding and smiling at one of her best friends. "I'm so sorry about…"

"Don't worry about it," Lily said smiling. "I totally understand and I'm not upset."

"Wow this is gorgeous!" Cassidy said running her fingers the fine fabric of the dress she would be wearing at Lily and James's wedding in a week and a half.

"I thought you would like it," Lily said smiling.

"Of course you would pick that brilliant hunter green, to match those beautiful eyes of yours. You know when we first became friends, I was so jealous of those beautiful eyes you were blessed with."

"Oh Cassidy!" Lily said throwing her arms around her best friend, "But you have beautiful eyes too! Ice blue eyes, do you know how many people want your eyes?"

"I know everyone loves and wants your eyes."

"Okay," Lily nodded. "Everyone wants both sets of our eyes! One of mine and one of yours!"

"Alright," Cassidy laughed with Lily.

"Now go try the dress on, I want to see how beautiful it's going to look on you."

"Too bad I haven't lost any of the baby fat yet."

"You don't look like you've gained that much anyways, besides everyone knows that you were expecting."

"I miss her," Cassidy said with tears filling up in her eyes. "I miss my baby Aurora, it's not fair how they stole her away from me."

"I know," Lily said holding her best friend close.

"I want her back."

"Shh," Lily nodded.

"Can we try the dress on and then can we leave?"

"Of course," Lily nodded. "I'm going to try on my gown and then I'll purchase the gowns, okay?"

"Alright."

Lily and Cassidy agreed to come out at the same time and they gasped and was just amazed at how beautiful they were. Soon the girls were back in their clothes and Lily paid for the gowns, then headed back to Godric's Hollow.


	7. Lily and James Potter

****

Chapter 7

After Lily and Cassidy got back to Godric's Hollow, Cassidy went up to the room that she was staying in and was in there for hours. Lily figured that Cassidy needed to be alone, so Lily ran over to Alice and Frank's house.

"Lily!" Alice yelled excitedly when Lily showed up, "What are you doing here?"

"Wondering if I could keep my gown here, because if I keep it at home James will take a peek."

"Sure, follow me to the spare bedroom and you can keep it up there."

"Where's Frank?"

"At his mother's, she is still upset that we aren't living with her."

"That's right, but I thought you guys were going to have to stay with her for a little while?"

"So did I, but Frank bought this house for us before the attack in Hogsmede. Frank had Flooed back to The Three Broomsticks and when Frank got outside he saw the horror that had started."

"Sweet that he bought you a house."

Alice nodded but smiled at Lily, "Well James did the same thing for you."

"Yeah," Lily said smiling. "Sirius would have had a house ready if we wouldn't have been sent from the school."

"I still wish we would have had a decent graduation ceremony."

"I don't," Lily said putting her wedding gown in the spare bedroom's closet that Alice had just opened up. "I really didn't want to spend anymore time with those Slytherin's that had turned into Death Eaters. I really didn't want to say my Head Girl speech and know that neither my parents nor James's were there for us because of Lord Voldemort."

"I see," Alice said nodding.

"Are you still going to Auror school with the guys?"

"Yes," Alice said smiling. "Especially since women can now be Aurors. When does James and Sirius start school?"

"September ninth."

"That's when Frank and I start."

"Wait a minute," Lily said blinking. "What happens when you guys want kids? Who is going to stay home with the kids?"

"When I have my babies, I'll quit. I can always go back when they get old enough. What about you?"

"I'll start Healer school on September fifth."

"And Cassidy?"

"She wants to try to have another baby, already. I tried to tell her that she was just trying to forget Aurora's death."

"Or maybe she really wants a family Lily."

"Maybe."

June thirtieth had finally come and now Cassidy and Lily were starting to get ready in the Bridal room when there was a knock at the door.

"If this is Potter, no you can't see your bride until the ceremony begins at two o'clock."

"Unless Gabby and I became Potters over night."

"Oh," Cassidy said smiling and let her other two best friends come in.

"How is she doing?" Gabriella asked as Alice pushed Gabriella's wheelchair.

"Nervous wreck, thank Merlin you guys are here to help me. You guys are already ready?

"Of course," Alice laughed. "Sit down, Gabby is going to do you guys makeup and I'll do hair. Gabby you start on Cassidy and I'll start on Lily."

Ten minutes before the ceremony was suppose to start Alice spoke up, "Done!" Alice had just finished Cassidy's hair.

"Just a minute…okay I'm done too!" Gabriella said as she felt Alice pull Gabriella's wheelchair back.

Cassidy looked at herself in the mirror, "You guys are good." Then Cassidy looked at Lily and she gasped.

"What! Do I look bad?"

"No," Cassidy said as tears filled up in her eyes. "You look gorgeous! Your Grandma Rose, Mum, Sarah, and Grace would be so happy for you. Look," Cassidy said turning her best friend to look into the mirror.

"Merlin," Lily whispered. "Gabby, Allie, this is wonderful!"

"You got that right," Gabriella said feeling her ego grow and Lily could only laugh with tears in her eyes.

"No, no, no!" Alice said patting under Lily's eyes with a tissue, "You can not cry and ruin that beautiful face that Gabriella just finished fixing."

"Yes, yes you're right. I really wish they could be here."

"I know you do," Cassidy said taking Lily in a big hug in which Alice joined in and Gabriella rolled her chair to try and hug the girls the best she could.

"How much time do we have?"

"Five minutes," Alice said smiling at Lily, the blushing bride. "You ready?"

"Of course," Lily said smiling from ear to ear. "I can't wait to see him!"

"You're just ready for tonight," Cassidy said wiggling her eyebrows back and forth which the girls began to laugh. Laughing and the girls saw Lily turn as red as her hair.

Lily looked back at herself in the mirror and looked at herself in awe, this was really happening. Lily was really going to marry James. Lily Marie Evans was going to be Lily Marie Potter, Mrs. Potter. Lily felt herself smile at being called Mrs. Potter.

Lily's hair was in lose curls, half of it pulled back. Lily had light make up, but just enough. Green eye shadow to match her eyes, black eye liner, black mascara, and pink lips with clear lip gloss. In Lily's hair there were little gemstones in Lily's auburn hair. Lily's veil was very traditional. Two different layers of the veil, the long part behind her and the small part in front of her face.

Lily's wedding gown was the icing to the cake. The white wedding gown was off the shoulder but had a tight bodice with little tints of pink, and with the pink were little rhinestones. At the hips the gown flared out and fell at Lily's feet.

"I look like a princess from a story book."

Cassidy hugged her friend from behind, "Just like you always dreamed."

There was a knock at the door, "Ladies it's time."

"Let's go Allie," Gabriella said as she wished Lily good luck and Alice followed Gabriella to the Wedding Chapel.

"Ready?" Remus asked smiling at one of his best friends. It was so weird to think that all of his good friends were getting married, Remus just wished he could marry Gabriella. Unfortunately no one would let Werewolves get married because everyone was so afraid of what the werewolf would do to it's spouse.

"Never been more ready," Lily said smiling and looking back and forth from Cassidy to Remus.

"Let's get you hitched!" Cassidy said smiling from ear to ear.

"Yes, let's go get me married to James Potter."

The Wedding was beautiful and James kept looking at Sirius for support. Sirius had never seen James looked so worried in his entire life. James kept thinking that Lily was going to realize how horrible a mistake it was to marry James and become a run-away bride.

Then the music began and Cassidy was walking down the aisle in the gorgeous brilliant green gown that Cassidy had picked out with Lily just a week and a half ago. Sirius smiled to see Cassidy, she looked gorgeous. This was honestly the first time Sirius had seen Cassidy truly smile since Aurora's death.

"She'll be here soon mate," Sirius whispered to James. Sirius couldn't help but chuckle at anxious look upon James's face.

The wedding march started and James was totally alert. The doors to the chapel opened and there was Lily standing there alone, but looking extremely nervous. As soon as Lily's brilliant green eyes met James's hazel eyes, Lily felt a sense of calmness flow over her.

As Lily walked down the aisle, neither James nor Lily could take their eyes off of one another.

All Lily could hear was the few people say in small phrases, _'What a beautiful bride!' 'She looks like an angel!' 'What a beautiful bride, James is a lucky man.'_

Finally, Lily reached James at the end of the aisle. Lily smiled as James kissed her cheek and Lily handed her bouquet to Cassidy.

"Hello everyone and welcome to this joyous day of June thirtieth to celebrate to joining of Lily Marie Evans and James Harold Potter in holy matrimony. If there is anyone that thinks that these two souls should not be married, speak now or forever hold your piece."

Sirius turned around and said, "No one say a word."

"Sirius!" Cassidy hissed, and everyone began to laugh in the chapel because of Sirius.

"I see the best man wants the two of you to tie the knot?"

"Yeah," James chuckled. "He's been pestering us for ages."

"Yeah, yeah." Sirius said rolling his eyes beginning to get embarrassed, "Now finish tying the chain and ball to these two before they change their mind."

"We can start the vows now." The minister turned to Lily, "I believe the two of you decided to write your own vows, correct?"

Lily nodded and looked into James's deep hazel eyes. "James, I always dreamed about my prince charming. How my prince charming would sweep me off of my feet and love me unconditionally. That we get married, have babies, and live happily ever after. James, you are my prince charming. I never thought I would be so happy, ever. I love you more than words could ever express James Potter. I take you today not only as my husband, but also as my best friend, partner for life, hopefully soon father of my children. James I take you today and forever. I'm so glad to become your wife today and I can't wait to start our life together, I love you."

James had to hold back the tears that were forming in his eyes as Lily said her vows to him, they were so touching. But now it was James's turn.

"Lily, I have been in love with you since the day my eyes fell upon your heavenly essence. You had a barrier around you Lily and you hated me in fact." The crowd chuckled, "I loved you and I refused to give up on you. Finally I told myself I had to somehow have you in my life. Whether it was just as friends or you be my wife as I always dreamed. That day I followed you into the Room of Requirement and tried to calm you down after you found out about your grandmother's death changed both of our lives that day. Today Lily I take you as my wife and I swear I'll never let you go. I can't wait to start my life with you Lily. You are my best friend, my wife, and soul mate. Hopefully soon enough you'll be the mother of my children. I take you today Lily as my wife and I love you more than words it's self."

"What beautiful vows we have heard from these two beautiful people, now the rings. James you'll go first."

James nodded and turned to Sirius to get Lily's wedding band, James had made sure Lily hadn't seen it yet on purpose. It was so be a surprise.

"Now James you'll say, "With this ring I thee wed."

"With this ring I thee wed," James said as he took off Lily's engagement ring and slipped on the wedding band, then slipping the engagement ring back on. James heard Lily gasp as she saw the wedding band and James couldn't help but smile.

The wedding band was platinum, like Lily's engagement ring, but the wedding band had diamonds all the way around the band.

"And Lily now you'll slip James's wedding band upon his hand," Lily nodded and got James's solid platinum wedding band from Cassidy.

"Now repeat after me, 'With this ring I thee wed.'"

"With this ring I thee wed," Lily said slipping James's wedding band upon his hand.

"By the laws invested in me by the Wizarding world I pronounce you husband and wife. James you may kiss your bride."

James smiled a heart melting smile and pulled Lily into their first kiss as husband and wife.

The minister then said. "Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you Mr. and Mrs. James Harold Potter!"

Everyone began to clap, Lily and James broke apart from their kiss and walked down the aisle. Sirius and Cassidy following behind.

"These damn pictures are taking forever!" Sirius whined but he stopped when he got a glare from Lily. "James your wife is scaring me."

"Good, hopefully she can shut you up." Cassidy grumbled.

"Lovely!"

"Sirius!" Cassidy said giving him a look and he obeyed.

"Thank you Cassidy," James laughed. "He has been complaining about pictures since we first started taking them."

"Okay folks last few are just the bride and groom, you can go on to the reception," the photographer spoke to Sirius and Cassidy. Sirius began to get excited and Cassidy could only laugh at how childlike her husband was, but no matter how childlike he was Cassidy knew she'd love him until her dying day.

"Okay, Mr. and Mrs. Potter just a few more pictures and you can join your guests for your wedding reception."

"And here comes the bride and groom!" Came Sirius's rambunctious voice magnified as Lily and James walked into the building after their pictures. "Time for toasts and grub!" Everyone laughed at Sirius as Lily and James joined Cassidy and Sirius at their table.

Lily looked around and was glad to see that everyone was being served their dinner at that moment. By the time Lily and James got to their table, they got served.

"Everyone got their food?" Sirius asked as his voice was still magnified and once the crowd had acknowledged that they had their food. "Okay good, but don't eat yet. Cassidy and I have to say our toasts and then we can all eat."

"Shut up!" Came Remus's voice and everyone chuckled, that was except for Sirius.

"You watch your tone Moony, or I'll take Gabby away from you!"

"Oh really?" Came Cassidy's magnified voice.

"Well, of course not dear…uh…" Everyone was laughing except for Sirius and Cassidy, but everyone could tell that Cassidy was about to laugh too.

"Can we please get this over with so we can eat!"

"That's Petey! Always wanting to eat," Sirius chuckled and so did everyone else. Lily and James were so happy about being Mr. and Mrs. Potter, that they didn't see how mean Peter looked that night.

"Okay now let's start my toast."

"Yes, let's." Sirius turned around and glared.

"So I've known Jamesie here since our first train ride to Hogwarts and that's when we met Remus and Peter. That's also where we met little Miss Lily Evans. From the moment that James spotted Lily, he was in love. All he did was think, breath, and talk about Lily Evans. James tried to impress Lily with our Marauder's pranks, but that didn't impress Lily like it impressed the rest of the girls. The more and more James tried to impress Lily, the more and more James pushed Lily away."

"When James finally came to us and told us that he was going to Lily's house with her for that weekend we all laughed at him, there was no where that Lily would allow James to go home with her. After Lily and James came back from her house, it was apparent to all of us that Lily and James were meant to be. Of course the start of their relationship was a bit rocky. James accident in Quidditch, dating that whore Paris Waters, Lily dating Tyler Smith, the death of their families, and Lily's rape. But because of all of these tragedies it didn't bring good in the end, it brought Lily and James together. Look their married now! To Lily and James!"

"To Lily and James!" Everyone said after to Sirius.

"Now that Sirius has finally shut his trap," Sirius looked at his wife and glared. "I can tell my side of the story. Lily and I also met on the train. Lily looked scared and ran to the last compartment on the train, and since my brothers had made me mad I'd ran to the back too. Lily and I introduced each other and by middle of the day, I knew we'd best friends until our dying days. At first Lily didn't mind James and even thought he was a bit cute…"

"I knew it!" James laughed turning to Lily in which she blushed.

Cassidy went on, "But the more and more James tried to impress Lily, well the more he just pissed her off." People laughed and Lily blushed, "We never thought that James would give up and that just infuriated Lily even more. The day that Lily found out that her dear Grandma Rose died was the day that Lily let James into her life. James had been very sweet to Lily that weekend and wasn't his egotistical self."

"Hey!" James yelled.

"When Lily and James came back and saw them together, I realized I had been wrong. I had always sworn up and down that Lily would never give James the time of day, that they were too different. But seeing them together was just perfect, the perfect couple. As James and Lily's relationship grew, well I knew that one day we'd all be here. Here celebrating the marriage of James and Lily and here we are. James, Lily I wish you two the happiest marriage. To James and Lily's blessed marriage!"

"To James and Lily's blessed marriage!" Everyone echoed Lily.

"Okay now that Cassidy and I have finished our speeches, it's time to grub down! So let's eat up and then get ready to boogie!" Sirius yelled and everyone cheered.

"Now for the Bride and Groom dance, James and Lily's first dance as a married couple." The DJ said in his microphone, "Lily and James would you please take the dance floor."

James took Lily's hand as they got close and started dancing to their first dance as a married couple.

"You look beautiful," James said smiling and looking down right into those emerald pools that belonged to the one and only Lily Potter. "That sounds wonderful."

"That I look beautiful?" Lily questioned.

"No," James chuckled. "You always look beautiful, tonight you just look like an angel…you look amazing. What sounds wonderful is Lily Potter."

James watched Lily's face light up and the biggest grin spread across her face, "Doesn't it? Lily Marie Potter, the fact that I'm your wife is just breath taking."

"Really?"

"Yes, I never thought we'd get here."

"Really?"

Lily nodded her head again, "After the whole Paris ordeal…well I was only with Tyler to hurt you as you had hurt me."

"Which I figured," James said nodding.

"I mean I really liked Tyler, but only as a friend. I loved you, even then, but you know what's odd."

"What?"

"The night he died he was angry with me because he told me that he knew I loved you."

"Really?"

Lily nodded smiling at her husband, "I loved you for a long time and I never stopped loving you. I started falling in love with you when you took up for me in front of Petunia and Vernon."

"I loved you since first year."

"I know," Lily said smiling. "And now we'll love each other until our dying day. So where are we going on our Honeymoon?"

James and Lily's first song had ended and everyone else jumped out on the dance floor, "That's a surprise my lovely Lily Flower."

"_Please_ tell me James!" Lily squealed.

"Nope, I'm keeping this surprise."

"Excuse me," someone was tapping on James's shoulder and they both turned to see Sirius. "I'd like a dance with the bride."

"No."

"Aww, come on Prongs. You can't hog the bride _all_ night!"

"I can do what I want to!"

"Come on Prongs! I'm not going to steal your wife! I've got my own! What do I need two wives for!"

"You've got a point," James nodded. "Here's Lily but I get to dance with your wife."

"Deal." Sirius said nodding as James walked off to dance with Cassidy, "Lovely wedding Lils."

"Thank you Sirius," Lily said smiling from ear to ear.

"You look happy _Mrs. Potter_."

"I am, I've never been this happy in my entire life."

"I'm happy for the both of you."

"Thank you Sirius."

"Hello Mr. Potter," Cassidy said smiling at James. "Where is Mrs. Potter?"

"Dancing with your husband, Mrs. Black."

Cassidy chuckled, "Okay enough of the last names. We are first name people."

"You got it!"

James and Cassidy began dancing, "So you actually let Sirius dance with your wife? I figured you wouldn't let anyone dance with her."

"Sirius is married and what does he need two wives for?"

Lily and James waved goodbye as everyone threw white flower petals on the newlywed couple. Lily and James jumped into the magical limousine and drove off. Ready for their Honeymoon and to start their lives together.


	8. Honeymoon In Hawaii

****

Chapter 8

The new Mrs. Potter was following her husband of three hours through a muggle airport and James stopped at a screen that showed all of the flights and what time they left.

"I can't believe this place is so confusing," James said taking his hand from Lily's to run his hand through his hair as he was frustrated. Lily chuckled inside, it was so funny that over two years ago she saw this gesture as annoying, but now seeing James do it as a frustrating habit was now just plain cute.

"You know I could help you out if you would tell me where we are going," Lily spoke up but she saw her husband shake his head.

"No I don't want you to know where we are going until almost the last second, I really want this to be a big and wonderful surprise for you. I want you to be happy."

"James I am just happy that you put this much work into the planning of our Honeymoon."

James started at the screen and began to look around the airport, "Ah ha!" James then pulled Lily into a very passionate kiss and when Lily finally pulled back James was smiling to see Lily's blush as deep as her hair.

"James why are we flying by muggle plane anyways, we do have our Apparation Licenses."

"Well where we are going isn't really suggested to apparate her and there."

"Why not?"

"Well Lily," James began to explain as he pulled his wife behind him to their gate. "There isn't a Wizarding part of where we are going."

Lily stopped dead and James turned around to see why his wife had stopped, "You're telling me we are going to live as muggles for two weeks."

"Yeah, do you have a problem with it."

"No, but I have lived eleven of my eighteen years as a muggle. You on the other hand have never lived without magic."

"I'll be okay, but we've really got to hurry. I heard them come over the speaker thingy that they are having their final boarding for our flight, so we really have to move Lily."

When Lily and James arrived at the gate, Lily looked up at where the flight said that they would be arriving and Lily's eyes lit up and she turned to her husband. "James you didn't!" Lily gasped.

"Yes I did, and I knew how much this would mean to you."

"H…how did you remember?" Lily asked turning to her husband with tears in her eyes.

"I remember everything you tell me, well all of the important stuff." James handed the flight attendant James and Lily's tickets and the newly married couple got on the plane.

Lily began to walk into Coach when James grabbed his wife's hand, "Where are you going?"

"Towards our seats."

"In Coach?"

"Yes."

"I thought First Class was the best."

Lily nodded, "It is."

"Well then we are sitting in First Class."

"James," Lily sighed shaking her head at her poor husband. "You can't just say 'we are sitting in First Class,' you have to have bought our tickets there."

James nodded, "And I did."

"What!"

James smiled and turned to his seat, "This is where we are sitting."

"What?" Lily said looking at her husband in awe, "Are you kidding me? James!" Lily began to whisper, "First Class ticket are _so expensive_."

"Only the best for my beautiful wife," James said kissing his wife deeply. Gesturing to his wife to take the seat closest to the window.

"I love you so much James," Lily said smiling at her husband as they took their seats in First Class and they were waiting to take off on the way to their Honeymoon.

"Cassidy?" Sirius asked rolling over to see his wife's eyes blinking open.

"What?" Cassidy asked groggily, "I am trying to sleep in."

"Nope," Sirius said jumping up and down on the bed they had been sharing in Lily and James's home.

"Why not!" Cassidy said trying to push her husband away.

"Because we are going house shopping."

Cassidy sat up with her eyes gleaming, "A house? We are going house shopping? We will have a home!"

"Yes we will have our own home and we won't have to stay with Lily and James again, unless they have a party and we get pissed."

"Let's go!" Cassidy said jumping out of the bed and trying to pull Sirius out too.

"We have go to take a shower before we go."

"Okay let's take a shower!"

"You want me to join you?" Sirius asked raising his eyebrows at Cassidy suggestively.

"Yes, now come on."

"Gabriella," Remus said rolling over in the room that they had stayed in at the Leaky Cauldron.

"Yes?"

"What are your plans now that Lily and James are married?"

"I am going back to Spain of course. I have no purpose here in England, paralyzed."

"You don't want to stay with me?" Remus asked sitting up and looking at the love of his life oddly.

Gabriella began to laugh at Remus, "Like you would really want to stay with a damned cripple!" Gabriella began to scream as she began to smack her legs around, "You think this is nice huh! You want to take care of me the rest of my damned, cursed life! I really mean _take_ care of me! Merlin knows I can't! I just want to die!"

"Gabby!" Remus yelled grabbing his girlfriends and so she would quit hitting herself.

"You are going back to Spain to leave me. What you don't love me anymore?"

"Remus," Gabriella began sobbing her eyes out. "I am nothing but a parasite and I won't allow you to throw your life away by having to take care of me. I would rather leave now and you remember how much we loved one another. Than you end up hating me the rest of our lives because you feel that you have to keep me around because you feel sorry for me!"

"Me feel sorry for you? Are you kidding me?" Remus yelled at his girlfriend from the top of his lungs, "I am a bloody Werewolf. I social outcast and I will never be accepted! If you don't love me anymore, get in your wheelchair and roll right out of my life."

Lily and James got off of the airplane, as they had _finally_ arrived in Paradise; Honolulu, Hawaii. As Lily and James got off of the plane they were greeted by Native Hawaiian girls in hula skirts, coconut bras, and putting Leis on the Newlywed Potters.

Lily looked around to see the sun, palm trees, and the beauty of the Hawaiian Islands.

"James this is amazing," Lily said as she couldn't quit looking around.

"My love," James said kissing his wife's hand. "The trip has only began." James and Lily walked out of the airport with their luggage and there was a Limousine Taxi waiting for them.

"Aloha!" The Limousine driver said smiling at the Newlywed couple, "I expect that the two of you are the Potters?"

"Correct you are," James nodded. "I have given you our destination, you do know where that is, correct."

"Of course Mr. Potter. Just leave your bags there and I will put them on the trunk, and we will soon be at your hotel."

"Thank you kind sir," James said handing the driver a tip.

As James and Lily were getting into the limousine they heard the driver say, "Mahalo!"

It seemed in a blink of an eye Lily and James Potter were in wonderful Wakiki, standing outside of the lovely Hilton Hawaiian Village.

"James this hotel is breathtaking!" Lily gasped and she noticed that James gave the driver of their limousine American Muggle money. "James," Lily whispered. "Where did you get American _muggle_ money?"

"I exchanged it the night before our wedding at Gringotts."

"Well," Lily said punching her new husband playfully. "You are a sly dog aren't you?"

"Sly _stag_. Padfoot is the dog," with James's statement he got eyes rolled at him by his very beautiful wife.

Lily's breath was taken away as the entered the lovely Hilton Hawaiian Village. Lily loved the Polynesian Theme. James and Lily walked up to the front desk and the clerk looked up and smiled.

"Hello welcome to the lovely Hilton Hawaiian Village, can I help the two of you today?"

"Yes," James spoke up kind of poking his chest out and Lily had to really hold back from laughing out loud. "I believe that you have reservations for a Mr. and Mrs. James Potter?"

The clerk began to look through is books and then the boy looked up, "Oh! Mr. Potter!" This boy was obviously kissing James's butt, and Lily had to really hold back from laughing. James's ego was already too big to handle and now someone was going to kiss his ass. That's all Lily needed was her new husband to be all egotistical on their Wedding Night.

The clerk went on, "Yes. Manoa will take you to your room. You were very lucky to book the Honeymoon Suite," the clerk went on. "Usually this Suite is booked at least a year in advance."

"Well," James poked his chest out even more which really had Lily rolling her eyes. "We Potters do get what we want."

"Mr. Potter?" It was the bell boy, "My name is Manoa. I will be taking you and Mrs. Potter to your suite."

Alice Longbottom was being driven insane by her mother-in-law. Frank sitting comfortably at their home in Bristol. Frank's mother wanted a shopping day with her daughter-in-law, and Alice really regretted agreeing to this.

"Something the matter Alice dear?"

"No Jean," Alice said shaking her head.

"Good, after all a mother-in-law and daughter-in-law should get along, don't you agree dear?"

"Of course Jean," Alice said sounding much like a robot.

"I mean after all both Frank and you kept me out of your wedding. We were suppose to have such a magnificent wedding and what do you two do? Go and elope, _without me_!"

Alice was looking for a pair of scissors so she could stab herself in her eyes and get this over with. After all if she inflicted pain upon herself, at least she'd be rushed to St. Mungo's and this shopping date with her mother-in-law would be over.

"So Alice dear, when should I be expecting grandchildren?"

Alice was really ready to hop out in front of a hippogriff and just be taken away from this hell of shopping with Jean Longbottom. Every time Alice and Frank were around Frank's mother, she brought up the baby issue.

"Jean again, Frank and I just graduated from Hogwarts. Frank and I both want to be successful Aurors."

"So you are never going to give me grandchildren?"

"We will," Alice sighed. Looking at her watch she saw she had to endure another three hours of this horrid woman!

"What happens if you just pop up and become pregnant."

"Then I will put my career on hold and raise our child. But trust me, both Frank and I are not ready for a child yet."

"Well I don't know why."

"Hang on," Alice said running out of the room and into the lavatory. Alice knew just the right way to get out of this shopping day from hell. Alice was going to pretend to be ill, so that she could spend the rest of the day with her loving husband, Frank Longbottom.

Once the bell boy opened up the suite doors of the Honeymoon suite and Lily gasped and she looked at her husband. The bell boy brought both Lily and James's bags into the room.

"Make sure we are not disturbed," James said tipping the bell boy and the bell boy nodded and shut the door behind him.

James picked Lily up and began to carried his bride over to the king bed before them. James laid his wife down and they began to get intimate and fast.

"James," Lily said as her voice as a bit husky in which James began to feast upon Lily's neck. "_James_."

"Yeah?" James asked as he wouldn't leave Lily's neck away, in which made her moan. Lily then pushed James up and off of her.

James sighed out of frustration, and threw himself on the other side of Lily. "What is it Lily?" James was whining, "We are married now. Why do you have to wait."

Lily smiled and kissed James squarely on his lips where James tried to get things hot and heavy as they had been before.

"James wait," Lily said pushing her husband off again and got off of the bed.

"_What_?" James was really whining now, "We are married! Look at those rocks I have thrown up that lovely hand of yours."

Lily giggled at her husband which only wanted to make James want to jump upon her even more. "James just wait a couple of minutes. I want our first time to be perfect and I have a surprise for you. Just wait a few minutes."

"Fine," James nodded. "When you come back out I will be naked under the covers waiting for you."

Lily giggled at her husband and walked off to the lavatory with a small bag in her hand. When Lily returned from the lavatory, James thought his head would pop off.

Lily looked magnificent and James told himself that he had never seen her look more beautiful than she looked at this moment. James emerged from the bed, he wasn't naked but all he had on was a pair of black silky boxers.

James walked over to his bride, and was just amazed. Lily had white mesh robe with lace and rhinestones. Under the robe there a white corset that had a pair of underpants that had clips connected to white pair of hose. Lily's red hair was full of curls that hung down off of her shoulders and had dark eye shadow upon her eyes.

James picked his wife up and carried her and placed her upon the bed. James ran his hands down Lily's slim bodice, kissing her tenderly but passionately. James felt Lily's hands running through his black, unruly hair. James's kisses left Lily's mouth and trailed down her neck. James smiled when he heard his wife moan under his kisses.

Things began to get heated quickly. There were no objections on where things were going from James nor Lily.

As James had taken Lily's final stitch of clothing of he heard her gasp, and James looked up to see what was wrong with his wife.

"Be gentle," Lily said looking up at James with only love in her eyes.

James cupped Lily's face with his hand, "Of course my love. Of course my love."

The rest of the night Lily and James Potter spent as a newly wedded couple would, alone in their Honeymoon suite.

"What do you think of this one?" Sirius asked turning to his wife to see her expression, on the twentieth house they had looked at today.

"This one looks nice on the outside…"

"You have said that about fifteen of the houses we have looked at today, but for some reason you didn't like them neither."

"_Well_," Cassidy said with attitude. "The other fifteen houses were not suitable inside."

"So do you want to look at the inside of this one?"

"Of course Sirius, you don't buy a house without looking at the inside."

"Well then let's go," Sirius said motioning for his wife to go in before him.

Sometime after that Cassidy gasped and she turned to her husband as they were standing in the master bedroom. "Sirius this is the house! I want this house! This has to be our home, please!"

Sirius chuckled at his wife and gathered her in his arms, "Of course. Whatever you want, you've got. If you want this to be our home, this shall be our home."

"When can we move in?"

"Well we first have to buy the house, and then we have to move in. We most likely won't be able to move in her until at least the weekend."

"_The weekend_!" Cassidy whined. "That's so late though! Let's go buy the house and begin to move our things immediately!"

"Cassidy, the offices are already closed for the night. Tomorrow after we wake up, dress, and shower; then we will go to Gringotts to collect money from our account. After Gringotts we will go to the Real Estate offices and put a down payment on the house."

"Okay, so when can we move in?"

"You just don't give up do you?"

"Nope."

"Well it depends how long we are in the offices tomorrow. Since neither of us are working yet, then we can begin to stay there as soon as we get all of our things in there."

"Won't Lily and James be surprised when they get back that our stuff isn't there anymore?"

"Not really," Sirius said shaking his head. "I told James that we would start looking for a home. James said that we didn't need to rush. I know you want to have another child soon, and we won't want to be in their way. Besides we don't know when Lily and James will also want to hear little pitter patters of their own."

Cassidy nodded, "Speaking of babies. When do you want to have another one? I want to get pregnant as soon as possible."

"Why are you rushing into this, love? It is as if you are just trying to push Aurora completely out of our lives, you do know that we need to grieve her?"

"Don't you dare act as if I never loved her," Cassidy hissed at her husband.

"I'm not."

"You are simply implying it."

"I am not meaning to Cassidy, it's just before you found out you were pregnant with Aurora you never mentioned that you wanted to be a Mummy as soon as possible."

"I didn't. After enjoying the joy of carrying our child and the tragedy of losing her, I realize how much I want to be a Mummy. Don't you want to be the father of our children? Don't you want to hear our children call you Daddy?"

"Of course."

"Then why are you acting as if I am some sick monster that wants to just forget the beautiful daughter that we should have seen grow up!" Cassidy began to scream, "Your demented brother just had to attack me while I was pregnant! Your family killed our daughter," Cassidy began to hit Sirius and he just looked at her in awe. "Your family hated me, and they hated our baby! Aurora is dead because of your family! Because of your damned, cursed family!"

"Cass, Cassidy!" Sirius said taking his wife in his arms and not letting go, as she tried to escape his grasp. Sirius wouldn't let her go, "Love. Cassidy."

Cassidy then began to sink to the floor and Sirius sank down with her, and Sirius held tight to his wife. Sirius wouldn't let her go, he wouldn't let her go.


	9. Love is a Funny Thing

_A.N./ Hey everyone sorry it has taken me so long to update, but I am currently on vacation for about another month. I am trying to update my fastest but then again I haven't been on vacation in over a year. Please be patient with me, again sorry.

* * *

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**Chapter 9**

"Are you _actually_ bringing up your Werewolf problem again?"

Remus's eyes bugged out at Gabriella's response, "Gabriella you better just be saying that because you are so upset about being in a muggle wheelchair for the rest of your life."

"_Excuse me_!"

"I have got to get out of here!" Remus grabbed his coat and walked out of the door.

"**REMUS**!"

Sirius didn't know how long he held his crumbled wife in his arms, she had been crying for hours and this time Sirius wasn't going to stop her from crying. As a matter of fact Sirius would join in crying with Cassidy every once in a while.

Of course Sirius was still terribly upset about losing his daughter to his demented brother and he did agree with Cassidy, his whole family was demented. That was a reason he never talked to those bastards.

Sirius later on after Cassidy had some what calmed down he told Cassidy he wasn't related to any Blacks. They weren't his family, almost all of Sirius's family was dead, Sirius's family had been the Potters.

Cassidy looked at her husband in tears and apologized for getting so hostile to the only person she had left in this screwed up world.

Sirius knew that Cassidy was more torn up on Aurora's death then he had been. Of course Sirius was upset, but Sirius wasn't able to get as attached to Aurora as Cassidy had. The baby had been growing inside of Cassidy not himself.

Sirius still had dreams of what Aurora would have grown up to be, and how beautiful she would have been. Aurora would have been a heartbreaker just like her Mummy and Daddy had been. Sirius imagined what she would have looked like on her wedding day, as she was nervous and Cassidy was trying to calm down their twenty something Aurora. Sirius would have tears in his eyes because he was giving his little princess away to a fine gentleman.

Then Sirius would wake up and remember that he would never experience any of that. Sirius would never see what Aurora would have truly looked like, Sirius would never send Aurora off to her first day at Hogwarts, Sirius would never see her graduate from Hogwarts, or get married. Aurora would never give Sirius and Cassidy grandchildren, because Aurora had been brutally murdered by her biological uncle.

The thought of this made Sirius's blood boil, Sirius would be the death of his brother if he had anything to say about it.

Then it hit Sirius, it was quite. Sirius looked down to his chest, in which Cassidy had been in Sirius's lap with her head on his shoulder, Cassidy had fallen asleep. Cassidy had been crying for hours and indeed Sirius's shirt was soaking wet, but all that crying had wore Cassidy out and she had cried herself to sleep.

Sirius remembered he had a bit of Floo Powder in his pocket, and he used the fireplace to Floo home with his sleeping wife.

"You are back early, huh?" Frank asked getting up from the couch.

"Yes I am."

"Did you and Mum finish your shopping?"

"No, I acted as if I was vomiting and I came home."

"What!" Frank asked looking at his wife in disbelief.

"I couldn't put up with her for another minute!" Alice said throwing her hands up in frustration, "That woman drives me crazy! You know she won't quit bugging me about us having a baby."

"So why don't we?"

Alice's eyes about popped out of her head, "Your mother does not tell me when I should and when I shouldn't have children! That is not your mother's decision, that is ours and that depends when I am ready to destroy my body!"

"Well you do want to have children, don't you?"

"Of course I do Frank, but we have only been married six months. We just graduated and I would like to get some of my Auror training in. Your mother has also informed me that an Auror isn't a good job for me, that I should be a housewife and a mother. That I should never work, just spit out babies!"

"Well you could stay home if you want."

"Are you not listening to me!" Alice asked hitting her husband upside the head with the latest Witch Weekly.

"Oww!"

"I want a bloody career being an Auror and your mother is not telling me what to do!"

"I don't know why you let her get to you."

"Arrggh! You are hopeless!" Alice yelled at her husband as she stomped upstairs.

"Where are you going?"

"Away from you!"

"Are you ready?"

"As ready as I will ever be?"

"Okay let's go," Bellatrix Black-Lestrange said smiling from ear to ear. Her lover, Peter Pettigrew was getting his Dark Mark tonight. Peter would finally become a Death Eater.

Remus walked around Diagon Alley feeling totally lost. Remus had no idea what Gabriella was going through. True Remus was a werewolf and there were lots of prejudice people that would never hire Remus and would always hate him because of what he was. People really didn't get Remus down and Remus was so use to being looked down upon that it really didn't bother him anymore.

At least Remus only turned into a fully grown werewolf only once a month, but Gabby wouldn't ever be able to use her legs again.

Remus knew that Gabriella would kill him if she knew that he felt sorry for her, but he truly did. Remus knew that Gabriella still did truly love him, she was just putting a barrier around her.

Gabriella acted as if Remus didn't know her at all, but in all reality Remus knew Gabriella more than she knew herself. Gabriella was scared that Remus would pity her and only stay around to take care of her.

This baffled Remus because everyone knew that Remus had been in love with Gabby for years. Remus even loved Gabby when she was with that buffoon Bagman.

Remus had to do something to prove his love to Gabriella, but what?

Gabriella sat in the hotel room sulking. Gabriella had run her boyfriend off because she was still angry with herself for getting paralyzed for the rest of her life. Without someone's help, Gabriella was stuck in this bed and she really needed to use the loo. She wasn't about to explode, but she needed to call someone from downstairs to help her down into her wheelchair.

Gabriella cursed at her legs again, how much she hated to depend on someone else. Now Gabriella was going to have to depend on someone else for the rest of her bloody life.

Wasn't life just bloody peachy?

Remus had to do something to prove to Gabriella that he truly did love her with all of his heart, but what? Remus needed to get Gabriella a present, but what? A necklace, an small but elegant necklace. Remus looked down at his, all of the shops would be closing in fifteen minutes. Could he really get the perfect present in a mere fifteen minutes?

Remus ran to the closets jewelry store to get the perfect present.

It was late when Remus finally returned back to his and Gabriella's hotel room. Gabriella was sitting in her wheelchair, with her back to the door.

"Are you finally back?"

"Maybe, that is if you want me still."

Remus heard Gabriella sigh, "Of course I still want you Remus. I am just…"

"A bit depressed."

"Yeah," Gabriella said turning her wheelchair towards Remus. "How did you know?"

Remus chuckled at his sweet girlfriend, "I feel like that _every_ full moon."

"I'm sorry we had that fight."

Remus smiled, "Me too."

"Can we make up?"

"Of course, but first I have a present for you."

Remus chuckled as he saw Gabby's face light up and a smile go from ear to ear, "A present? For me?"

"No for the dust bunnies under our bed. Of course for you!"

"Yay! Give me!"

Remus chuckled and handed Gabriella the little box that was in silver wrapping paper with a little navy blue bow upon it.

Gabriella's eyes got big as she took the present from Remus and began to open it up. Then there was a scream and Gabby looked at Remus in awe, in front of Gabriella Martinez was the most gorgeous necklace she had ever seen in her entire life. In front of Gabriella was a white gold necklace with a white gold small heart shaped pendant with sixteen of the cleanest princess cut diamonds.

Gabriella motioned for Remus to come closer to her and Gabriella gave Remus the most passionate kiss that she had ever given anyone.

Once they broke apart Remus rested his forehead upon Gabriella, "Did I do good?"

"Yes," Gabby said smiling at the only man she loved. "I couldn't have asked for a more beautiful necklace. I love you Remus."

"And I love you Gabriella."

Lily woke up and rolled over to see her husband of about twelve hours sleeping peacefully and she smiled, James looked so peaceful.

"Quit staring at me Lily," James grumbled with his eyelids still closed shut.

Lily curled up to James and he wrapped his arms around his petite wife, "I'm sorry I didn't mean to be rude to you Lily."

"It's okay," Lily said shaking her head against his chest. "I know you aren't the best morning person.

James peeked one eye open, "Is that an insult."

"I didn't mean it as an insult, but if you take it as one, I have no control over it."

James opened his second eyes, "Oh really?"

Lily nodded her head yes.

"Well," James then attacked Lily and gave her a tickle attack, the muggle way.

"James! No…stop! No…quit! James!" Lily said between each laugh, "You…will…pay…for this!"

"Ha ha, that's what you think my dear!"

Cassidy woke up to feel her eyes were sore beyond belief and she couldn't realize why. Then it hit her like a bludger to the head, Cassidy had blamed Sirius's family for Aurora's death. Cassidy remembered screaming at him and hitting him, grieving more than she had done since Madam Pomfrey had told Cassidy that she was indeed pregnant.

It was just at that moment that Cassidy realized that Sirius was cuddled up to her in their bed, and Sirius's arm was draped over her waist. Cassidy had to hold back a sob, she was so grateful that he had stayed with him. Cassidy had been so grieve stricken over losing her baby girl, that Cassidy really wasn't taking anyone else's feeling into consideration.

Of course no baby would ever take the place of Aurora's, but ever since Cassidy had found out that she was pregnant with Aurora, Cassidy had been so excited about being a Mummy. Cassidy was excited to be able to hear their baby call Sirius, Daddy. The thought of it still brought a huge smile to Cassidy's face.

"What are you smiling about this early in the morning?" Sirius asked looking at his wife through eye sleepers.

"Just thoughts that have been in my head since I found out about Aurora."

"You aren't going to yell at me again, are you?" Sirius asked backing away from his wife, to the other side of the bed.

"No, and I am truly sorry for last night."

"No don't be," Sirius said shaking his head at his wife. "You haven't been able to grieve over Aurora properly and you had to get it out of you. It is my family's fault."

"Sirius, no…"

"Let me speak. My entire family is horrible and evil, except for a few family members. Unfortunately my brother shares the same blood with me and it is his fault that our baby girl is gone."

"I want to try for another baby."

"Because?"

"I want to hear our child call me '_Mummy_,' and you '_Daddy_.' I want to be able to go through the wonders of motherhood. I am not trying to replace our Aurora, no one will ever replace our baby girl. I would like to try to have another baby, though. Wouldn't you?"

Sirius smiled at his wife, "Yes I would."

"So when should we start?"

"How about now?" Sirius said giving his wife a look she knew only too well.

Remus awoke that next morning to see Gabriella staring at her beautiful necklace in awe.

"You know it would be a lot easier if you were to take it off of your neck and look at it then."

"No," Gabby said shaking her head. "You slipped this wonderful number around my neck and I will never take it off."

"What happens when it gets dirty?"

"I'll buff it with a cloth."

"What happens when you need to clean it with a jewelry cleanser?"

"I'll get you to take it off of me and I will clean it, and then you will slip it back on my neck."

"What if you need to clean it and I am not around?"

"What's up with the twenty questions in the morning?" Gabriella grumbled turning away from her prince charming.

"Only to get a rile out of you my dear."

Gabriella nodded and then the words spilled out of Gabby's mouth and Remus was very surprised, "Want to take a _sensual_ bath with me?"

Remus's mouth dropped to the floor and Gabriella couldn't help but laugh inside. That's when Remus spoke up, "I would never pass up a sensual bath with such a lovely lady."

"Well," Gabriella replied raising her eyebrows. "Then shall we?"

"_Lily_!" James Potter whined flopping down onto the bed in their honeymoon suite in Waikiki, Honolulu. They had arrived by muggle airplane to Honolulu, but The Potters were staying in Waikiki. "_Come on Lily! We are going to be late!_"

"I said stuff it James!" James Potter heard his wife yell back at him from the lavatory and he rolled his eyes. "Why do I even try? We should have gotten out of bed hours ago."

"I said stuff it _Potter_! Besides, I thought a honeymoon was meant that you were suppose to stay in the whole time."

"The majority," James yelled back toward the lavatory where his wife wouldn't come out of. "But I figured we would want to see some sites of Hawaii, what an idiot I am."

"That would be too true," Lily Potter said emerging out of the lavatory looking beautiful. James was breathless and Lily smiled to see her husband looking at her with not only love but awe. "So was the wait worth it?"

James pulled Lily down into his lap, "Of course it was." James purred in her ear, "Actually maybe we should just stay in."

"Well," Lily said raising her eyebrows. "I would agree to that, but I have been in the lavatory for the last hour to look like this and you have been trying to push me out of the door since then so…"

"Aww come on Lily Flower."

"You will just have to wait until then James, besides." Lily said giving James a devilish look, "The longer we wait the better the temptations."

"I shouldn't have to wait anymore," James said pouting. "I put those rings on your fingers, I want now!"

"No," Lily said getting out of James's lap and walking across the room to slip her flip flops on and grab her handbag. "Come on James."

"No, I don't want to."

"Big baby," Lily said taunting him.

"So."

"If we leave now, it just means we will get back sooner than later…"

"Okay!" James yelled jumping off of the bed and dragging poor Lily behind him.

Peter laid in his flat, on his bed holding his left arm. After Peter had left Lily and James's Wedding, Peter headed straight back to his flat and that was when he saw the _very_ sexy Bellatrix Black…well now Bellatrix Lestrange.

"Oooh, my Pet is all dressed up in a suit? What's the special occasion?"

"The Potter's Wedding."

"Gag," Bellatrix said throwing herself upon Peter's bed.

"Shouldn't you be at home, you know with your **husband**?"

"Trying to get rid of me already, my pet?"

"No," Peter said beginning to take off the ridiculous tie he had been wearing.

"Ooh," Bellatrix's eyes were dancing. "Strip for me my pet."

"Say what?"

"You heard me."

"I am not really in the mood Belle."

"And why not!" Bellatrix said getting off of the bed and pressing Peter up against the wall, "Am I not appealing to you now that I am married!"

"That's not it."

"Sure seems like it," Bellatrix screamed. Merlin, Peter hated when she screamed. Peter swore up and down that somewhere in Bellatrix's heritage she had to be related to a damned banshee.

"Belle," Peter sighed and finally looked at her and noticed what she was wearing. Bellatrix had left her red silk robe on his bed, but now she was in a halter top see through red lingerie. "Wow."

"Wow is right, and it's about bloody time you finally noticed."

"Sorry, but I am just so angry that James actually married that Mudblood."

"Yes, he would have been a suitable breeder. Don't know what he sees in that damned Mudblood."

"Me neither, at least you didn't have to be present at their damned wedding."

"Yes, but I had to be at my own."

"Hey you married him," Peter said shrugging and laying upon his bed. In which Bellatrix climbed on top of Peter.

"Only because my mother told me to and if I didn't she would have killed me. Couldn't be the disappointment to my family as my dear cousin is."

"At least O'Brian is a pureblood."

"Yes but she too is a Mudblood lover, just like my loving cousin. Blood traitors they are. The only reason you hang around them anymore is because of Master's orders, correct?"

"Of course," Peter said running his hands through Bellatrix's long, beautiful raven hair.

"I've got a surprise for you!"

"What?"

"Master wants to see you."

"When why have we being playing this game?"

"I like to play."

"Yeah," Peter nodded his head knowing all too well that Bellatrix Lestrange loved to play around with him.

"Master wants to give you the Dark Mark."

"When?"

"**Tonight**."

"Tonight?"

"Why do you sound scared Peter?" Bellatrix said as her gray eyes flashed.

"I am not, but I didn't think he would trust me so quickly."

"I convinced my husband and we convinced Master of your greatness, so let's go! I was suppose to be here to pick you up."

"Oh, is that why your husband has let you come to see me?"

"Correct."

"And what happens after the ceremony?"

Bellatrix's beautiful face formed a big smile, "I am the one to doctor you and make sure your scar doesn't make infection."

"And your husband?"

"Is about to go on a mission with Master and Lucius. So I am to stay here to 'take care' of you."

"Bloody brilliant!"

Peter smiled at the events of the night before. What a wonderful night to get his Dark Mark, the night that James married that horrid Mudblood! Lestrange was off with Malfoy and the Dark Lord. With them gone Bellatrix was all his for the weekend, what a lovely gift for Peter for having to endure that horrid wedding that the Potters put on.


	10. A Party For The Potters

****

Chapter 10

Before Lily and James knew it, their two weeks in Hawaii was gone and they were getting back on a muggle airplane to fly back home.

"James!" Lily whined, "I am not ready to go back yet! It's so beautiful here and I love it! Can we come back some day, _please_."

James laughed and kissed Lily passionately on the lips, "Anything you desire _Mrs. Potter_."

"Yay!" Lily said jumping on James and wrapping her legs around her husband, "If we weren't getting on that airplane." Lily purred in James's ear, "I would have my way with you. Just hearing you call me _Mrs. Potter_, makes me randy."

"Wow!" James said looking at his wife with his eyes popping out of his head, "There's a janitorial closet just down the hallway."

"James!" Lily laughed and then jumped off of James, "When we get home."

"No," James grumbled. "Sirius and Cassidy are there."

"They said they were looking for a house, they shouldn't be around the house much longer. Besides they are our friends, and you told Padfoot that you had no problem with them staying with us."

"I don't, but we are newlyweds now."

"And so are they."

"Okay _Miss Smarty Pants._"

"That is Mrs. Smarty Pants."

"Oh yes," James said nodding his head. "That's right you are now married to a tall, dark, and handsome man correct?"

"I guess you could say that," Lily said messing with James. "But he wears this thick glasses and his hair is just all over the place."

"Lily!" James gasped, "How could you!"

"James, I am just kidding!" Lily said laughing at the look of awe on James's face.

"You better be," James said pulling Lily close. "You are in such trouble when we get home."

"Oooh, I like trouble."

"I tell you what Frank, I can not stand that horrid woman you call your mother!" Alice yelled throwing herself down on the couch.

"What did she do now Alice?"

"Will not quit badgering me about a baby!"

"Well she wants a grandchild and we have said that we want children. I mean you do what children don't you Alice?"

"Of course I do Frank, I would just like to be married at least a year before we try to have a baby."

"And what happens if you get pregnant before then?"

"Then we have a baby nine months later."

"Alright I see where this is going and I'll tell my mother to get off of your back, okay?"

"Good," Alice said smiling at her husband and giving him a light peck on his lips. "What are you doing today?"

"Going help Mother at the store."

"Again?" Alice whined.

"Alice we don't start Auror training until September and we do need some money, and no I am not living off of your inheritance from your deceased family."

"Frank…"

"No Alice, I am a man and I am going to take care of you. I'll be home about seven tonight."

"Just fine," Alice huffed throwing herself down on the couch. "Guess you will just miss seeing our friends come back from Hawaii. I told you a week ago that Cassidy and I were throwing a 'Welcome Back' party for them. _Everyone_ is going to be there and I get to…"

"What time is it Allie?"

Alice turned to look at her husband with a smile from ear to ear, "Five. They should be apparating to their house anytime after that from the airport."

"Fine I'll get off at four forty-five, we can call that Crouch boy, you know the kid that just started. Doesn't seem like a bad kid, just trying to get the hell away from his crazy father."

Frank leaned down to kiss Alice goodbye as he was headed to work, "Love you."

"Love you too," Alice said beaming at her husband. After Frank apparated to Diagon Alley, Alice headed upstairs to get ready for today.

"Gabby? _Gabby_! **GABBY**!" Remus began to yell as he realized that his girlfriend wasn't laying beside him. "Gabriella!"

"Shut up Remus," there was a yelling from the loo. "I just had to use the loo, you didn't seem that my wheelchair is gone?"

Remus then looked for her wheelchair and saw that he was being a total idiot, "What are you doing in there."

"Fixing my hair."

"Why?"

"We have to be at Sirius and Cassidy's soon."

Remus crawled out of bed and opened the bathroom door, there was Gabriella curling her long hair in the bathroom of the flat they had just gotten. "Don't you mean Lily and James's?"

"Nope, Cassidy came by yesterday and told me that they bought a cute little house. So I will be on my over to their house, you coming?"

"Nope," Frank said shaking his head.

"Then what do you expect to do all day?"

"We kind of have a prior engagement…"

"Oh, one you have just forgotten to mention to tell me about?"

"Yeah."

"And?"

"I kind of told Amos and his wife that we would go to Cedric's belated first birthday party."

"I am not going to that want to be rapist's house and I can't believe you told him that the both of us would attend. Frank you can go, but don't expect me to go."

"Come on Allie that was along time ago and Amos had changed a lot since Cedric was born."

"I don't give a damn about Diggory and I refuse to go to his disgusting house, for all I know that baby is a rapist baby too!"

"Allie don't talk like that! Ludo is going to be there too."

"Oh great the guy that cheated on my best friend, even bloody better. You go if you want to."

"You are going to be mad at me now."

"No I won't," Alice said shaking her head. "You go over there if you want to, but I am going over to Cassidy and Sirius's to help them set up for Lily and James's party."

"Party?"

"Yeah they come home tonight and we are throwing them a '_Welcome Home'_ Party."

"Oh…I didn't know."

"I am going over to Cassidy's now, the party starts at five if you are interested."

"Alice," Frank tried.

"Sirius is picking Lily and James up from the muggle airport at four thirty and it's about a thirty minute drive from there to Cassidy and Sirius's cute little cottage."

"Why aren't they apparating or Flooing?"

"In front of muggles?"

"Does Sirius even know how to drive?"

"No," Alice said honestly. "But he only has to tap his wand to the steering wheel and it will do all the driving for him. He just has to act, I am leaving now."

"Alice…"

But Alice had already apparated out. Frank thought to himself, '_No wonder she can't get along with my mother, they are so much alike.'_

"**LILY**! **JAMES**!" Sirius yelled loudly across the muggle airport to try and get his friend's attention.

James started laughing, "Do you hear Sirius yelling our names like a maniac?"

"Yes," Lily giggled. "Do we act like we hear him or we do we keep acting as if we can not hear him?"

"Let's act as if we still don't hear him for a bit more, you know to see how drastic Sirius gets."

"Okay," Lily said smiling from ear to ear.

"**LLLIIILY! JJAAMES!** **OVER HERE**! **PRONGSIE**!"

"I don't think we can ignore him for much longer James, Sirius is going to insane soon."

James and Lily turned towards their best friend that was screaming their name, "Padfoot!" James yelled as if in surprise to see his best friend, "What are you doing here?"

"I have come to pick you guys up," Sirius said giving Lily a hug and then James a brotherly hug.

"How?" Lily questioned.

"I drove here."

"Drove what?" James wondered, hoping that he wasn't flying a broom to see them in plain day. Hoping that Sirius didn't expect Lily and James and all of their bags to hop on a single broom.

"A car."

"A muggle car?" Lily asked as she turned to look at James in worry for all of the muggles on the streets and sidewalks.

"Yes I drove a muggle car, well…I really didn't drive it. My wand did."

"Oh," James said nodding as he understood now.

"So how are we getting back home?" Lily asked.

"Well either you can drive or I can get my wand to drive again," Sirius shrugged.

"Where did you get the car from Sirius?" James asked wondering what his best friend had been up to while his wife and himself had been on their Honeymoon.

"I went and rented one from a rent-a-car place, Cassidy took me."

"They didn't ask for your drivers license?" Lily questioned as James wondered what a 'drivers license' was.

"Nope," Sirius said shrugging his shoulders. "Cassidy did all the talking, she said she knew him somehow. Don't ask me ask her, now come on let's go. Cassidy has been driving me crazy the whole time you guys have been gone, she says I am not as funny as you. Yeah whatever, I am the funny king."

Lily rolled her eyes at Sirius Black, "Okay Sirius. Let's go home."

"Mine or yours?"

James's eyebrows raised, "Your house? Don't you mean _our_ house?"

"Nope," Sirius said shaking his head no. "Cassidy and I went house shopping right after you guys headed to Hawaii and in a couple of days we had bought a small cottage in Hogsmede."

"You guys already moved out?" Lily asked sounding as if she was on the verge of tears, "Why so soon?"

Sirius took James and Lily's bags and put them in the back of the muggle car, "Why do you sound so sad little Lily? Thought you and James would be happy to get rid of Cassidy and me?"

"Whatever," Lily said rolling her eyes. "We told you guys to take however long you guys needed."

"Yeah," James nodded. "We know you guys are still trying to get over Aurora's death."

"Well, Cassidy and I want to try to have another baby. We're sure you guys would want to be alone and try to have a baby of your own."

"So when do we get to see this cute little cottage that you guys bought without telling any of us," Lily said slightly punching Sirius as Sirius was opening the door for Lily.

"Hey that's my job!" James yelled and both his wife and best friend rolled their eyes at the bigheaded James Potter.

The three friends got into the muggle car and Sirius tapped on the steering wheel with his wand when everyone was sure that there were no muggles around and the car began to drive itself.

"We are going to stop by Cassidy and my house right now."

"Well what if we are _plane-armed._"

"Plane-armed?" Both Sirius and Lily asked at the same time.

"Yeah," James said shrugging as if this was just a common word. "You know when you are tired from flying on that plane thingy."

Lily began to laugh hysterically and Sirius turned around to see that James looked as confused as he did, "What's so funny?" James asked looking at his wife as though he thought she had gone insane.

Once Lily had been able to stop her laughing fit, "James it isn't called _plane-armed_, it's called _jetlagged_."

"How was I suppose to know?" James asked moodily, "I don't know all your weird little sayings that your family always said. Besides that's the first time I have over flown on that plane thingy."

"So how are we getting to Hogsmede to London and how long is it going to take? That is a bit of a good ride and as the airport isn't that far away from King's Cross, and I remember how long those trips were to Hogwarts."

"No we can push a button and the car goes really fast without scaring muggles and it can squeeze in tight places where normal muggle cars can't. I say we should be home in about thirty, thirty-five minutes."

"Wow," Lily said happily as she placed her hands in her lap.

"I don't want you to sit up there with Padfoot, you are _my_ wife come sit with me."

Sirius rolled his eyes, as did Lily. "James the car is moving and I can't just crawl back there."

"Sure you can."

Lily turned around to look at her husband, "When did you become so jealous? Especially with Sirius, you know Sirius and I are just friends."

"Okay so I am not jealous, but we are still newlyweds…"

"Ek," Sirius began to choke. "Stuff it Prongs, you guys have the whole house together later on tonight."

"Yeah," Lily said turning back to look at James and winked at him. The wink seemed to sooth James and he didn't say another jealous word, but unfortunately for Lily, James and Sirius began to talk about nothing but Quidditch.

"Wow!" Lily gasped as Lily, James, and Sirius got out of the car that Sirius had rented. Sirius later on expressed that Sirius had put a spell on the muggle car to make it act like a magical ministry car. '_Sirius, that's illegal_!" Lily yelled at Sirius in the car and he just acted as if he hadn't heard Lily yell at him.

"Wow," Lily said smiling and she turned to James. "Look how beautiful this house is!"

"It's not more beautiful then ours is it?" James asked a bit worried.

"Of course it is," Cassidy Black said from behind her best friends.

"Cassie!" Lily yelled and ran from her husbands arm to hug her very dear best friend.

"Geez, I see when I am not wanted." Sirius said now sounding jealous.

"Padfoot!" James yelled running towards Sirius and hugging him the same way Lily had hugged Cassidy. Sirius caught on to what James was doing and they were acting as if they hadn't seen one another in years and acting as if they were sobbing in one another's arms.

"_Stuff it_," Cassidy and Lily growled at their husbands.

"Hey, I grow!" Sirius said and then he transformed into Padfoot and ran around and around the girls.

"Wow I didn't realize how much I really missed you guys," Lily said laughing as Padfoot chased off a bunch of pigeons by snapping at them in his anamagi form.

"Okay Sirius let's go," Cassidy spoke up.

"Where are we going?" Lily asked.

"Sirius and I found the nicest little Italian restaurant off the main rode here in Hogsmede."

"Ooh Italian," Lily said turning around to smile at James. "I love Italian food!"

"Yes we all know love," James chuckled as he slipped his arms tightly around Lily's waist.

"Geez, Prongsie you act as if Lily is going to float away."

"She might," James said kissing Lily's neck. "After all she is my angel."

Sirius began to make gagging noises and Cassidy began to laugh hysterically, but Lily turned around to give James a big passionate kiss.

"Gross," Sirius growled.

"Okay Lily," Cassidy laughed. "Get Potter's lips pryed off of yours so you can see my beautiful new house!"

"_Our_ house."

"Yeah our house."

Lily pulled back from James and James spoke up, "Hey now her name is Potter too now. So for now on when you growl my last name out you could still be talking about Lily."

"No," Cassidy said shaking her head. "I call Lily, Lily. Now come on you guys!"

James wrapped his arm around the small of Lily's back, and Sirius and Cassidy motioned for Lily and James to go first.

As soon as Lily and James walked in the lights turned on and all their friends from Hogwarts jumped out. Alice, Frank, Gabriella, Remus, Peter, a girl named Katrina who was Peter's date, a few people from Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff too.

Lily jumped back in surprise and Lily and James laughed.

"This is so sweet!" Lily squealed as she turned around and gave Cassidy and Sirius a hug all over again. Lily then left James's side to hug Frank, Alice, Remus, and Gabriella. "You guys, I can't believe you guys! This is so sweet!"

"This is an awesome surprise," James said smiling and taking Lily back into his arms.

The surprise party ended up being a total smash and everyone had fun. There were friends from all houses and a few younger friends that would be graduating next year or the following year. Sometime later on that night Professor Dumbledore stopped by with Professor McGonagall.

It was kind of odd to all of them to see Professor Dumbledore and McGonagall outside of Hogwarts.

"James," Professor Dumbledore asked patting James on his shoulder while he was talking to one of his old Quidditch pals.

"Yes Professor?" James asked.

"James, I am no longer your Headmaster. So please call me Albus."

"Okay, Albus." James kind of stood there, calling the man who had been his Headmaster for seven years really didn't feel right calling him by his first name.

"I am sorry to interrupt your conversation, but could I please have a word?"

"Sure," James nodded and turned back to his friend. "Could we finish this conversation later?"

"Yeah sure, later James."

James followed Professor Dumbledore upstairs to one of the bedrooms upstairs. Professor Dumbledore locked the door and put a silencing charm on the room.

"Professor, I mean Albus…what's going on?"

"James?"

James turned around to see his wife looking at him oddly as she was in the room and since James was so worried about what his former Headmaster had to say to him that he didn't notice that Lily was in here.

"What's going on?"

"I was going to ask you the same."

"James, Lily please sit down." Albus said motioning to the bed that they were standing in front of and Albus Dumbledore sat down in the chair across from the bed.

"I am starting a society to fight against Lord Voldemort called '_The Order of The Phoenix_.' I have a few people that have agreed to join and I was wondering if the two of you would want to. As both of your families were killed by Lord Voldemort and then the careers that the two of you are taking."

Lily and James nodded and Professor Dumbledore went on, "With James wanting to be an Auror and Lily wanting to be a Healer…"

"I'll join," James spoke up and stood up.

"Me too," Lily nodded.

"No!" James said turning to Lily and sitting back down on the bed, "No Lily. Lily you can't."

"And why not?"

"I couldn't bare to think of you getting hurt and this is going to be very dangerous."

"James if you can do it, so can I. _Don't you dare_ tell me I can't do this."

"James, Lily." Albus Dumbledore spoke up, "I am not meaning to start a fight between the two of you. You have plenty of time to talk this out between the two of you. There will be a meeting with the others that want to join in a month, August eleventh to be in fact." Albus handed James a slip of parchment, "It has the date, time, and location on the slip of parchment. I really hope to see the two of you there."

Albus Dumbledore walked out of the spare bedroom and James tucked the slip of parchment in his pocket. "Lily you are not joining."

"Excuse me!" Lily said her emerald green eyes about to pop out of her head, "How dare you tell me what to do James Potter!"

"Lily…"

"No James! You are not going to boss me around just because we are married now. You were the kindest man and you told me that I could do anything I set my mind to. James I want to join this with you and…"

"Lily, no."

Lily rolled her eyes at James, "Our first night back from the honeymoon and you become a total prick! James I will not put up with this!" Lily apparated out of the room to leave a very lonely, and upset James Potter.


	11. A Death Eater's Betrayal

A.N./ Guys I am so sorry this chappie took so long! I am now back from vacation, and while I was down in Texas my husband's grandmother died. That's a big reason I haven't posted. Been trying to take care of my husband, because obviously he is devastated.

* * *

****

Chapter 11

James just stood there, he couldn't believe what had just happened. James stood there looking at the spot where Lily had just been standing. James was so stunned that Lily just left that he didn't even hear someone come in.

"James?"

"Hey Cassidy," James spoke up not turning around and still staring at the spot where Lily had just been shouting at him from.

"Where's Lily?"

"You've got me."

Cassidy walked up to James and stood in the spot Lily had just occupied, "What do you mean you don't know? Everyone downstairs could hear the two of you fighting, so I know she was up here. Where is she James?"

James looked straight into Cassidy's ice blue eyes, "I have no idea. Yes we were fighting, I wouldn't be surprised if all of Hogsmede heard us. We were fighting and then she just disapparated. So no I have no idea where my wife is."

"Well what were you guys fighting about?"

"Cassidy, I really feel as if that is none of your business."

"Look," Cassidy said trying to figure out how in Merlin's name Lily could put up with this man's attitude. "I don't want to get into your personal affairs, trust me. But if you tell me what you guys were fighting about then I can probably tell you where Lily has apparated to."

"Fine," James huffed. "But I can't really talk about it. We were fighting about Lily wanting to do a dangerous job that could get her killed."

"Oh and you told her she couldn't."

"Of course."

"Oh James Potter," Cassidy began to chuckle. "You never tell Lily what she can and can't do. I thought you of all people would have figured that out."

"What is that suppose to mean?" James snapped at his best friend's wife.

"Don't get snippy with me," Cassidy growled at James. "Now just think, you have pissed Lily off…"

"You aren't helping me out any," James growled.

"Where do you think Lily would have ran after the two of you had gotten into a fight?"

James only had to think for two seconds before his disapparated from the room.

"Hey where is Prongs and Lily?" Sirius asked walking into the room, "The whole town could hear the two of them fighting."

"James pissed Lily off and she disapparated out. I told James to think where she had gone, hopefully he's got brains and went where Lily had gone."

"To the cemetery?"

Cassidy nodded, "Precisely."

Lily Potter was sitting in front of her parent's graves, with her grandmother's grave to her right. Lily had put white lilies on all three graves. Lily was crying and talking to her parents. Yes, her fight with James hadn't really been a horrible fight. Just fighting with him and not being able to go to her mother to gripe about him tore open the wounds she had thought had healed. Lily was upset that James thought she was too weak to fight in the war against Voldemort, when Voldemort had killed her parents too.

"Lily?"

"Go away James, I don't want to talk to you."

"Too bad, I want to talk to you. Lily I am not going to let you push me away, like you push everyone else away when you are hurting."

"I said go away!" Lily said sobbing and James sat down on the ground with Lily and held her close. "No…no, go away." Lily tried to push James away but he wouldn't let go.

"Lily, Lily I am sorry. You were right, if I join you should be able to join too."

"No…wait, what?"

James looked into Lily's tear filled emerald green eyes and he felt his heart break. How could he have brought tears to her eyes? How could he have hurt the only person that meant everything to him.

"If you want to join you can, since I am."

"I know I can!" Lily said as James saw not only tears in her emerald green eyes but fire.

"I know you can love, I am just saying that I'll quit being all egotistical. I just worry about you and I don't want you to get hurt."

Lily nodded and climbed into James's lap as he sat on the ground. Lily curled up into James's shoulder and he held her tightly. "Please don't leave me like that again Lily," James whispered into her ear. "I was so scared that I had pushed you away, I can't lose you Lily…I would die if I lost you."

"I'm sorry," Lily said trying to snuggle even closer to her husband.

"No," James shook his head and pulled her closer to him. "Don't apologize, it wasn't your fault it was mine. I was just scared to lose you."

Lily pulled back and kissed James lightly on his lips, "That's how I felt when I realized you were really going to be an Auror. I knew it had always been your dream, but when you were really going to do it…I was terrified James."

"I'm sorry," James said kissing her back.

Rain started to fall down and Lily began to laugh, James smiled to hear her laugh. He had heard her laugh earlier this morning, but this morning felt like years ago. Lily began to twirl around and around in the rain. Lily was laughing and so was James. James picked Lily up and then began to twirl Lily around and around.

"Can we go home?" Lily asked a little while later.

"Why you don't like playing in the rain?"

"Yes I do, but we are wet!" Lily said laughing as if there was no tomorrow.

James laughed at his wife, "Yes love. That is what happens when you play in the rain my love."

"I know this James," Lily said hitting him playfully.

"Do you want to go out to eat?"

"No, let's get the house elf to cook dinner. I want us to extend our Honeymoon at our house, now that it is empty."

"Wow!" James said purring at his wife. "Let's go."

"Cass?" Sirius asked looking around the room she was sitting in with a questioning look upon his face. "Where is Lily and James? Everyone could hear them screaming at one another from downstairs."

"Yeah I know," Cassidy said turning around to look at her husband. "But the Potters are gone."

"Gone?" Sirius asked looking oddly at his wife, "What do you mean gone?"

"Yeah what do you mean gone?" Came another voice at the bedroom door.

Cassidy and Sirius turned around to see not only Alice and Gabriella, but also Frank and Remus.

"James pissed Lily off and Lily left. James of course ran after Lily."

"Wait." Peter said peeking his head over everyone else's heads, "I thought this party was for them?"

"It was Wormtail," Sirius said chuckling at his very close friend.

"You don't have to get snappy _Black_," Peter said disapparated.

"Black?"

"Yes Sirius," Cassidy said starting to laugh at her husband. "That would be our last name."

"Damn it Cassidy I know that!"

"Don't yell at me!"

"Uh oh," Remus whispered in Gabriella's ear.

"So where have they gone?" Frank asked looking around for them.

"They aren't here Frank," Alice said rolling her eyes.

"I knew that," he lied.

"I figure Lily apparated to the cemetery."

"Cemetery?" Frank asked still not getting on subject with everyone else.

"You know where her parents bodies are kept," Cassidy said looking at Alice and trying to figure out when Frank got this dumb.

"Oh yeah."

"Why do you think she went there?" Gabriella asked from her wheelchair.

"Lily and James got in a really big fight and James really didn't disclose the information," Cassidy lied on the last part. "I asked James that since he and Lily got in such a big fight where else did he think that she would run. James instantly said the cemetery and he disapparated out of here."

"I hope everything will be okay," Gabby said looking worried.

"We should just leave them alone and let them sort out their problems," Alice said nodding at all of her friends.

"What was up with Pete?" Sirius asked changing the subject.

"I don't know but I've never heard him spat your last name like that," Remus said frowning.

"Maybe you should go to his flat and apologize." Cassidy said offering her two cents.

"For what?" Sirius asked looking at all of his friends to see if they knew what he had done wrong.

"No idea," Remus said shaking his head.

"Peter has been on edge like that lately hasn't he?" Gabriella asked turning to Alice.

"Now that you mention it, he has been acting kind of weird lately," Frank spoke up while Alice nodded her head yes. "He has been rather touchy since right around Lily and James's wedding."

"You don't think he's jealous do you?" Alice asked looking between all of her friends.

"Why would he be?" Sirius asked with attitude.

"Isn't it obvious?" Cassidy asked looking back and forth between Sirius and Remus.

"No," both men said shaking their heads no.

"Everyone is doing well off except for Peter."

"What do you mean?" Sirius asked still a bit confused.

"Well think about it," Gabriella spoke up from her wheelchair. "Sirius and Cassidy are married and trying to start a family. Lily and James and then Alice and Frank are both married and most likely going to start a family soon. Remus and I are living together and we've talked about getting married. Sirius, James, Alice, and Frank are about to start training to be Aurors. Lily is going to school to be a Healer. I'm going to work at Gringotts break curses. Cassidy is going to be a housewife until their little bundle of joy is here with us all."

"What's Peter doing?" Gabriella asked looking from friend to friend.

"Being a bartend at the Hog's Head with that crazy man that owns it," Sirius said as his eyes went wide as he realized exactly what Gabriella was going on about.

"He doesn't have a girlfriend that any of us know about," Cassidy said as her eyes went as huge as Sirius's.

"Yeah," Alice said shaking her head yes. "You would think that if he did have a girlfriend he would bring her around as we are always all couplish." Frank rolled his eyes at his wife's new word.

"_Couplish_?" Sirius asked looking back and forth from Frank to Alice and then Sirius began to laugh hysterically.

"What's wrong with the word couplish?" Alice asked turning to Cassidy for answers.

"Couplish isn't a real word," Gabriella giggled from her wheelchair.

"Yes it is!"

"No it's not," Cassidy said agreeing with Cassidy.

"Are you sure."

"Positive," Remus said nodding his head to his girlfriend and his best friend's wife.

"Oh," Alice muttered turning quaffle red.

"That's okay," Frank said pulling his wife close and gave her a big kiss. "I still love you, even though you are _such_ a blond."

"Gee thanks," Alice said rolling her eyes at her now cocky husband.

"Well if the newlyweds aren't here, then what's the point in staying?"

"Sirius!" Cassidy's eyes almost accomplished popping fully out of her head.

"What!" Sirius asked innocently.

"They are our guests too."

"It's okay Cassie," Frank said trying to hold his laughter in. Cassidy's face looked as if it was a balloon about to bust, and Sirius looked scared at what his wife was going to do to him. "We need to be going anyways, we have lunch with my mother."

"No!" Alice groaned, and the Longbottoms were gone shortly afterwards.

"I am getting tired Remus," Gabriella sighed.

"I bet," Remus said nodding at his beautiful girlfriend. "You won't let anyone push that chair, you are so stubborn that you can do it on your own."

"Because I can," Gabriella said not coldly but with great pride.

"True," all three friends agreed with their very spicy friend.

"Sorry to leave so early," Gabby said smiling at one of her best friends.

"No," Cassidy said shrugging it off. "As much as I hate to say this, Sirius was right."

Sirius fainted at these words, yes he literally fainted. Never in Cassidy's eighteen years had this woman _ever_ admit that she was wrong and someone else was wrong.

"What's wrong with him?"

"I finally admitted I was wrong," Cassidy laughed with her friend.

"How are you going to get rid of all those people downstairs?"

"Wake Sirius up and make him tell everyone they have got to go."

"You are going to let Sirius tell everyone that they have to go home because the dream team had a fight?"

"Nope," Cassidy said shaking her head no. "Have to let everyone still believe that Lily and James are the perfect couple and that they never fight."

"Ha!" Gabriella said beginning to giggle all over, "Like James and Lily are the perfect couple. You do remember how many times they have broken up and gotten back together, right?"

"Of course I do."

"Sirius wake up," Cassidy said shoving her husband.

"No Mummy P, five more minutes." Sirius muttered in his sleep.

Gabriella broke out in giggles all over again and Cassidy couldn't help but laugh too.

"No come on Sirius you have to get up…"

"Go away you horrible woman!" Sirius now yelled in his sleep, "You are not my mummy!"

"What!" Gabriella asked flabbergasted looking to Cassidy.

"His mother."

"Oh."

"Sirius, look at me I'm all naked!" Cassidy yelled.

Sirius sat straight up but as soon as he saw that Cassidy was dressed he put on his pout face. "That's no fair."

"That was so funny Cassie," Gabriella giggled and Remus agreed.

"Wasn't it?"

"No it wasn't, now what do you want?"

"You need to tell everyone downstairs that the party is over."

"What! Why me?" Sirius now whined like a baby.

"Because if you are a good boy, you might get a present later on."

"Gag," Remus said staring to make the gagging noises in which Gabriella burst into giggles again.

"Oooh, I likey!"

"Good, I thought you would."

"What do I tell them?"

"Tell them that Lily got sick and that they went home."

"Alrighty," Sirius said kissing his wife's cheek and left the room with a smile a mile across his face.

"Nicely done," Gabriella said shaking her head in approval.

"Yeah but you didn't have to bring up the subject of shagging with us in the room," Remus moaned.

"Who said anything about shagging?" Cassidy asked innocently.

"You."

"No I didn't."

"Yes you do."

"No," Cassidy said shaking her head a her really good friend. "I said that he could see me naked."

"Yeah but we know that there will be some shagging done tonight, as the two of you are trying for another baby."

"Exactly," Gabriella said shaking to Remus's comment.

"Okay good," Cassidy said smiling at her two close friends. "Then the two of you can leave so you don't hear us getting all randy in here."

"Ug," Remus groaned. "Gabby we really have to go before I get sick right here."

"Thanks for having us tonight," Gabriella said wheeling herself of to Cassidy.

Cassidy bent down to hug her close friend, "No problem. Sirius and I love to have you guys over."

"Night Cassidy," Remus said hugging her.

"Night," Cassidy said hugging Remus back.

"Where did they go?" Sirius asked five minutes later to find Cassidy lying in their master bedroom on their bed.

"Home."

"So it's just the two of us?"

"Precisely."

"How _interesting_."

"Wormy," Bellatrix Black-Lestrange purred as she had apparated into her lover's apartment. There was no answer, "Pet?" Bellatrix looked around the living room, kitchen, nook, and then upstairs to the bathroom and two bedrooms. Unfortunately for Bellatrix Lestrange, Peter Pettigrew was no where to be found.

"Where in Merlin's name could he be?" Bellatrix asked out loud to herself, "He should have known that the Dark Lord called us. It's not as if we wait to hear from him through owl post. No our skin gets burned where our Dark Mark is. Where the hell are you Peter!" Hogwarts's ex-resident bitch screamed before she apparated back to her home, where her husband was waiting on her.

"Wormtail," Lord Voldemort sneered at his servant before him. "I do not find you trust worthy."

"W-why not m-my lord?"

"You didn't come to me when your Dark Mark was burned tonight, are you going soft on me Wormtail."

"N-no sir."

"You better not, you know the price of betrayal to me, correct."

"Y-yes master."

"So where were you when were so obviously pre-occupied when I beckoned your call?"

"A party for the Potters."

"How lovely," Voldemort said with sarcasm just dripping off the words. "Why in Merlin's name would you do that!"

"You told me even though I am so obviously different from them, but s-sir you told me to stay friends with them. S-since they are all so close to Dumbledore."

"Ah ha," Voldemort said shaking his head yes. "You are to become a spy for me, to tell me what your blood traitor friends, the Mudblood lover, the Mudblood, and that damned Dumbledore is doing. Do you understand your mission?"

"Y-yes sir."

"You know the price for failing and them finding out that you are actually a spy for me."

"D-death," Pettigrew said flinching.

"Correct, because if they don't kill you…well I will. That is all."

Pettigrew nodded and apparated back to his apartment, and he looked at the clock. Peter smiled, the one thing good going in his life should be popping in anytime soon. Peter didn't love Bellatrix, no he would never love her. Bella was just a good shag and whatever her name was that he took to the party with…well was getting dumped tomorrow.

At three-thirty in the morning Cassidy O'Brian-Black sat up in a pool of sweat. Cassidy's blankets were all thrown around her body, and Cassidy could feel her heart bounding hard against her chest. Cassidy was sure that Sirius would hear how fast her heart was beating any moment now. But he didn't.

"Sirius?" Cassidy whispered with tears filling in her eyes, but there was no response from Sirius. "Sirius! _Sirius!_"

"Huh!" Sirius asked sitting up in bed and frowned when he saw how upset Cassidy looked.

"What's wrong love?"

"I had a horrible dream."

"It's okay love," Sirius said kissing the top of her. "It's all over now, so let's go to sleep."

"No. I had a bad dream and then I heard a window break downstairs."

"No, you were just imagining that love. Your senses were still heightened because of your nightmare."

There was another crash downstairs and Cassidy had tears running down her face, "Sirius _please_!"

"What in the hell!"

"Please."

"I'll be back love," Sirius said kissing her forehead and going to pound the crap out of the intruder in their home.

Cassidy pulled Sirius's lips on to her own as a few tears fell down, "I'm scared."

"Don't be," Sirius said kissing her again. "I'll get him out, but I have got to go and catch him now."

"Okay," Cassidy said nodding in which she kissed Sirius one last time. "I love you."

"I love you too," Sirius kissed her forehead and crept downstairs to catch the burglar.

Cassidy sat up in bed looking around in the darkness, she didn't feel safe. Something was wrong and she could feel it in her blood.

Cassidy turned sharply to her left, where the wardrobe was. "Who's there!" Cassidy hissed but she got no reaction back. "I am armed."

Before Cassidy could ever pick up her wand a Death Eater came out of the wardrobe and yelled to disarm her before she could even lay a finger on her wand.

"This is the end of the line for you O'Brian."

"**_SIRIUS! SIRIUS DEATH EATER UP HERE_**!"

"Shut your mouth you dirty blood traitor," the Death Eater hissed.

"I know you."

"N-no you don't."

"Yes I do," Cassidy's eyes got wide and before the Death Eater knew she had taken off his mask.

"_Peter_!" Cassidy whispered, "No. No." Tears fell down her face, "No please don't hurt me. I swear I won't tell a soul."

"Too late you meddling blood traitor!" Peter put his mask back on, "_Avada Kedavra_."

"Noooooooooooooooooo!" Sirius screamed as he saw the Death Eater throw the killing curse at his one and only love. "I'll kill you! _Avada Ked…_"

The Death Eater had disapparated before Sirius could kill his wife's murderer.

Sirius ran to the bed and on to her lifeless body. Sirius reached over and picked up the muggle contraption Lily had taught him to use a few years ago, the telephone. Sirius had the phone on his shoulder while cradling Cassidy's cold, lifeless body.

"H-hello?" Came a sleepy Lily Potter's voice.

"_L-Lily? Is that y-you_?"

"Yes…Sirius? What's wrong?"

"D-Death Eater…k-killed my C-Cassidy!"

"**WHAT**!"

"Lils, she's dead. Please get James to contact everyone and get over here fast. I-I can't be a-alone right now."

Sirius Black dropped the phone down, without hanging it up. Sirius cried the biggest tears he had ever cried in his entire life over his dead wife. The woman he was suppose to live the rest of his life with, the woman who was suppose to give him the most beautiful children in the world, the woman that was suppose to make him smile everyday by just smiling at him. No, she was dead. Cassidy Black was dead and there was nothing Sirius could do to bring her back.

Knowing this, Sirius wept until someone showed up to console the now young and lonely widower.


	12. Saying Goodbye

****

Chapter 12

After Sirius Black had contacted Lily and James Potter, James Potter had contacted the rest of the gang to go over to Sirius's home. It took Lily and James about ten minutes to get over there as James had contacted all of their friends and both Lily and James had to get some clothes on.

First person to see Sirius Black and console him was his good friend, Peter Pettigrew.

"Padfoot, Prongs just contacted me at home. I am so sorry," Peter said hugging his good friend as they hugged a brotherly hug in the living room. "Where is her body?"

"Upstairs," Sirius sobbed. "She looks so peaceful Pete. Merlin she was so young! Why!" Sirius began to cry again, "Why!"

"Is there anyone coming here to you know…take the body?"

"Oh yeah," Sirius said nodding between sobs. "They should be here any m-moment to take C-Cassidy's b-b-body."

"Padfoot?"

"In here Moony," Peter yelled.

"Oh Sirius," Gabriella said pulling Sirius as close as she could with the wheelchair between them. "I…is it true?" Gabriella asked her close friend with tears filling up in her eyes. All Sirius could do was nod his head and Gabriella and Sirius cried together. Not to long afterwards Alice and Lily had joined Sirius and Gabriella in their crying circle.

"She was so young," Alice said with an arm around Sirius's back.

"We planned to have another baby," Sirius said wiping his tears away.

"I can't believe she's really gone," Lily cried with her head tucked into Sirius's neck and Sirius rested his head on top of Lily's.

There was a knock at the door and James ran to answer it, there were Wizarding medics.

"Mr. Black?" The first one asked.

"No I am best friend to Mr. Black, Mr. Black is a bit distraught at the moment."

"Oh yeah," the second one spoke up. "You are the lucky bloke that married Lily Evans."

"Sorry if I don't feel like talking about my wife at the moment," James snapped. "My best friend just lost his wife and his wife was my wife's best friend. Now what the hell are you doing here."

"To take Mrs. Black's body to the morgue."

"Oh yes, come on in."

The medics walked in and James could hear Sirius yell, "No not yet."

"She's in the bedroom," Alice spoke up with tears streaming down her face.

"Allie shut up!" Sirius hissed.

"Sirius," James spoke up. Only Cassidy and James could ever put Sirius in his place, "They are going to take her to the morgue."

"No!" Sirius and Lily cried even harder.

"Sirius you might want to go say goodbye to her."

Sirius nodded and the medics followed him.

"S-she can't be dead!" Lily screamed into James's chest and Gabriella and Alice began to cry at this. Of course they were upset about Cassidy's death but they were as close to Cassidy as Lily had been.

"I'm sorry love, but she is."

"No James!" Lily began to scream hysterically, "she's my sister! She can't be dead, oh Merlin James don't let her be dead!" James held Lily as tight as he could as he felt his beautiful wife's shaking bodice against his body.

A while later Sirius came down looking so distraught that he looked as if he would pass out right then and there. The medics soon followed Sirius carrying what looked like a muggle gurney with a small body underneath a black sheet.

"Cassie!" Lily screamed pulling away from James's embrace and pulling the sheet off of Cassidy's face which just got Lily's sobs to intensify. Lily held herself together just enough to kiss her friend's forehead and then she sank to her knees with such grief.

Sirius was being held by Alice and Gabriella hugging him the best she could in her wheelchair. James picked Lily off of the floor as he held her tightly.

Lily was the first to speak up which surprised everyone in the room, "Sirius you can stay with us tonight. You shouldn't have to stay here on your own."

"I just don't understand," Sirius said still crying. "We haven't even been married a year, we lost our baby, we were trying for another baby, and we just bought our house. Who wanted me to be so miserable and her gone so much."

Peter flinched but no one really noticed as everyone was worried about Sirius.

"You can stay with us," Lily repeated.

"No, no I can't." Sirius said shaking his head, "I have too many memories of Cassidy at your house as mine."

"You can stay with us," Alice offered.

"No," Remus said speaking up firmly which was odd for Remus to be so forceful. "Sirius is staying with Gabby and me in our spare bedroom. Alice can you please help Sirius gather his things?"

"Of course," Alice said with a tear streaked face. "Come on Sirius," Alice said offering her hand to Sirius.

When Sirius had arrived back downstairs with Alice and his bags Lily spoke up again, "Tomorrow James and I will go with you to make the funeral preparations."

"Lily you don't…"

"We know we don't have to," James spoke up holding on to Lily as tightly as he could. "But the fact is that we want to, got it."

"I love you guys, all of you really." Sirius said looking at all of his friends with nothing but love.

James held Lily close in their bed and it tore James apart to know that his best mate's wife was dead. The fact that Cassidy had been Lily's best friend too was even worse.

James had Lily curled up to him and felt her hot tears running down his bare chest, to hold on to Lily and feel her body shake until she had finally cried herself to sleep was just torture.

James wasn't being inconsiderable, of course losing Cassidy to some horrible, twisted Death Eater tore at his heart too. Saying goodbye to Cassidy Black would be hard for everyone, but especially hard for Sirius and Lily.

The day of Cassidy Black's funeral was a tough day for not only Lily and Sirius, but for all of the friends. There were tons of people present at the funeral, although this didn't sooth neither Lily nor Sirius.

Sirius was wearing a black suit with a black shirt, tie, and shoes. Sirius's hair was fixed nicely with gel, Sirius had told Remus and James that he wanted to look his best for Cassidy.

Lily had a simple black dress with a bow under the breast and the length of the dress came down right under her knees. Lily had a black veil over her face too. In fact all three girls dresses didn't really differ all that much and all supported the black veil.

All the men wore a black suit with black shirt, tie, and shoes. All of Cassidy's family had been murdered by Voldemort's henchmen. So the pallbearers would be Sirius, James, Remus, Peter, Frank, Gideon Prewett, and Fabian Prewett.

"Cassidy was such a wonderful person," Molly Weasley came up to Lily holding Lily close. "I know the two of you were such good friends, when Tyler was still alive he use to tell Arthur and I how close the two of you were."

"Cassidy was my best friend," Lily said with tears in her eyes looking at her friend that had just had her twins a few months ago.

"I am so sorry."

"We are all worried about Sirius."

"I don't blame you guys, he looks so torn up. But then again I would be too if I had lost Arthur."

"As would I if I lost James," Lily said as she felt her stomach drop at this. There was no way in the world that Lily could live without James.

"You guys have got to keep him busy," Molly said looking at her husband talking to the widower that was Sirius Black.

"We offered for him to stay at our home until he got on his feet."

"And?"

"Well Cassidy and Sirius stayed at our home for a while after they lost Aurora, and before they had bought their home."

"So there are too many memories at their home as there are at yours?"

"Exactly," Lily sighed. "Right now Sirius is staying with Gabriella and Remus."

"They don't mind do they?"

"Of course not."

"Then what's the problem Lily, my dear?"

"I am just worried about him. Cassidy and I always promised one another that if one of us died, we would still take care of the other's husband."

"That's a wonderful thing."

"Sirius is like the brother I never had, and I am just so worried about him. Sirius never really fit in with any of the Blacks and he was disowned by them but then of course he disowned them too. Cassidy and Aurora were the only family that meant anything to him."

"But what about the Potters?"

"What about us?"

"Grace, Harold, Sarah, James, and you?"

"Oh," Lily felt her stomach drop. "Well of course we all claimed Sirius as our family."

"Sirius has lost not only all of the Blacks, including his wife and daughter, but also Grace, Harold, and Sarah Potter. Sirius was the child the Potter's adopted, so you are Sirius's sister. Take care of him Lily, he needs all of you guys."

"I need him too. I know he has to be dying without Cassidy, but so am I. Cassidy was the sister to me that Petunia never was."

"And Cassidy was the love of his life."

"What am I suppose to do?"

"Just be there for him Lily, just let Sirius know that as long as it takes him to move on that you guys are there for him."

"Of course we are," Lily said nodding her head.

"Just let him know."

"Are you ready love?" Arthur Weasley asked tapping his wife on the shoulder, "I can only imagine how crazy Bill, Charlie, and Percy are making the babysitter. Thank Merlin that Fred and George are only infants."

"You are too right Arthur," Molly nodded and gave Lily a hug. "Give James our love."

"James?"

"Yes Arthur," Molly chuckled turning back to her husband. "James _is_ Lily's husband."

"Oh Merlin, I didn't recognize you." Arthur said pulling his friend into a hug, "I am so sorry about your loss."

"Thank you."

"We hope to hear from you soon Lily and don't lose touch with us."

"Of course not," Lily spoke smiling at the Weasleys. "I care for the two of you too much."

"Sirius are you sure you don't want to stay with us?" Lily asked, "We have plenty of other rooms you can stay in."

"I'm sure Lily, I'll probably ask to stay with you guys later on but right now the wounds are too deep."

"Don't be a stranger brother," James said clasping his hand upon Sirius's shoulder.

"Of course not mate."

"Alright."

Mid September had crawled upon Lily and James Potter much more quickly then they had expected. James was in Auror training with Sirius, Frank, and Alice. Auror training was gruesome but it was all worth it when he got home to Lily's wonderful homemade cooking. Lily had began her school for being a Healer and Gabriella was doing office work for Gringotts. Peter had only found a job at the local joke shop, Zonko's. Unfortunately no one would hire Remus at all, and so Remus stayed at home and did all the cleaning and cooking.

Cassidy had been dead for a little over a month now and of course Sirius was still upset, but he wasn't crying himself to sleep anymore.

On September 21st, 1978, James and Lily had invited Sirius over for dinner. The day of the twenty-first is where we pick back up.

"Are you sure it's not a hassle for me to eat with you guys tonight?"

"Of course not Padfoot," James said rolling his eyes at his best friend again. They were changing in the Auror locker rooms. "Lily and I have been wanting you to come over to dinner since…"

"You can say it," Sirius said turning to his friend as his gray eyes turned to complete darkness. "Since Cassidy was murdered. I still think about her, you know?"

"I imagine you will think about her until your dying day."

"I have kind of been avoiding you guys since then…"

"We've noticed."

"You know I moved out of Remus and Gabriella's a few days after the funeral."

"No I didn't know that," James said pulling on a clean shirt.

"I couldn't stay there."

"Why not?"

"Didn't feel like home."

"Why don't you go back home."

"I sold our home."

"You did?" James asked.

"You don't sound surprised."

"I'm really not. I know that if it had been me losing Lily, I would have sold the house immediately."

"I couldn't stay there."

"I know," James said nodding. "But where have you been staying?"

"A room at the Leaky Cauldron."

"What!"

Sirius chuckled, "I knew you would react like that."

"Oh, sorry."

"Don't be."

"So you are still coming over tonight correct, Lily is making spaghetti."

Sirius smiled, "My favorite."

"Precisely, so that means you can't bail on us this time."

"I wouldn't dream of it."

"Really?"

"Yes, actually James I have a question to ask of you and Lily."

"Okay you can ask us tonight."

"Actually," Sirius said lacing up his shoes. "Do you mind if I ask you here and then ask Lily later on tonight."

"Sure."

"Is it okay if I take up on you guys offer."

"The offer that you can stay in one of our _many_ guest rooms until you get a flat of your own?"

"Yeah," Sirius said blushing.

"Of course Padfoot, you are the brother that Lily and I never had and we would do anything for you."

"And I would do anything for you guys, hell I'd die for the two of you."

"And we would die for you."

"I won't stay for long."

"Stay as long as you need."

"Are you sure?" Sirius asked Lily as he had just asked if he could stay in one of their guest rooms, specifically not the one that Sirius and Cassidy had stayed in when they lived here.

"Of course I am sure," Lily said rolling her eyes at Sirius. "You are like the brother James and I never had."

"You sound just like James."

"Well we all figured I would eventually, after all I live with him and I am married to him."

"Just don't start ruffling your hair or playing with that damned snitch."

"I'll try not to," Lily said rolling her eyes playfully at Sirius."

"You two can quit making fun of me and get your arses in here so we can eat bloody dinner!" James yelled.

"Good hearing he has, doesn't he?"

"No, really his hearing is as horrible as his eye sight."

"Lily!" James growled.

Lily rolled her eyes as Sirius and she made their way into the dining room, "James just figured out the eavesdropping spell."

"Well at least I know when the two of you will be plotting my death because the two of you are really lovers."

"Damn Lils, he's found out our secret." Sirius said winking at her.

"Yup, I wonder if he knows we are Death Eaters too and we are about to eat his insides and his soul."

"And take all his inheritance too," Sirius spoke up. "Don't forget the best part."

"Oh how could I forget?"

James groaned, "Sirius quit corrupting my wife to be as horribly sarcastic as you."

"Prongs, I hate to tell you this but I actually think your wife is corrupting me."

"Great we have the fifth Marauder on our hands," James said beginning to bang his head on the kitchen table.

Sirius gave a bark like laugh, "Since when has James become the King of rudeness?"

"Since you guys Auror training and he's driving me insane, thank Merlin you were sent to me to keep me sane."

"And the two of you to drive me insane."

"Oh stuff it Potter and learn how to smile," Lily said sticking her tongue out at her husband."

"_Potter_? Since when are we back on a last name basis, and the last time I checked you were a _Potter_ too."

"Nope," Lily said shaking her head. "I am an Evans, through and through."

"Sorry my dear you have become an unlucky Potter since our Wedding day."

"But I am an Evans by heart."

"The two of you stuff it!" Sirius yelled and then began to laugh like a maniac because of the looks of surprise he was getting from his two best friends. "What! I can't eat with the two of you bickering as if you guys have been married some fifty odd years."

"We do not bicker," Lily said snobbishly.

"Sorry Lily dear, but the two of you do."

"James do you have the same idea that I have?"

"Yes I think I do Lily Flower."

"W-what are you guys going to do to me?"

"Tickle war!" Lily and James both laughed and with a flick of their wand Sirius was screaming because of the double tickle charm.

Above them was the angel of Cassidy Black smiling down and she said where only she could hear, "Lily kept her promise to me. Lily and James will take care of my Sirius. I love you guys, and goodbye."

Lily took both tickle charms off and turned to look at the guys, "Did it just become really cold in here or was it just me."

"No I felt it," Sirius nodded looking around.

"Me too."

"What temperature do you guys keep it in here?"

"No idea," Lily said shrugging her shoulders. "Hey Siri, do you want to watch The Wizard Of OZ?"

"Oooh, yes I do! You've got it here?"

"Yes."

"And a telly?"

"Yes we've got one of those too," Lily said laughing at how happy this was making their friend.

"Great," James grumbled. "I got probably the only two freaks that have watched that movie a bazillion times!"

"Stuff it Potter," Lily and Sirius said at the same time.

"Fine," James said as he sat on the couch and pulled Lily into his lap.

Normally seeing any other couple the way Lily and James were would have broken Sirius's heart since he didn't have his Cassidy anymore. But for some reason the way Lily and James were gave Sirius some hope that he would be able to move on.

No Sirius would ever get over the death of Cassidy, after all Cassidy was the love of his life and you never got over the love of your life. But hopefully with friends like Lily and James, Sirius would be able to move on to be a happy person.

This is all that Cassidy wished for, that Sirius would be able to move on and be the person she fell in love with. Be the Sirius that everyone loved. Be the loving, funny Sirius that took Cassidy's breath away. Be the Sirius that Cassidy had fell in love with.

That night Cassidy came to Sirius in his dreams…

__

"Sirius?"

Sirius turned around and the woman he saw before him brought tears to his eyes, "Cassidy!" Sirius ran to her and engulfed her in his arms, "I have missed you so much."

"As I have missed you."

"Why did you leave me?"

"I didn't do it intentionally. I have come to tell you that I am fine and I am with our baby Aurora in heaven."

"You are!" Sirius said happily and kissed Cassidy passionately on her lips.

"Yes I am."

"Tell her I love her."

"She knows love."

"Please come back to me."

"I can't," Cassidy said sadly. "If I could, you know I would. I miss you terribly."

"And I miss you."

"I want you to move on."

"Excuse me?"

"Sirius we fell in love young and we married young. I don't want you to grieve my death until you are an old man and die."

"I will never find a woman as special as you, I'll never love anyone the way I loved you."

"Just please don't grieve me to death."

Sirius nodded, "I promise."

"I'm sorry we didn't get a proper goodbye."

"Me too."

"You can kiss me goodbye now."

"I'm not ready to say goodbye."

"Sirius, we need to say goodbye."

"Why?"

"This is the only time I am coming back to you."

"Why?"

"You need to move on and your alarm is about to go off."

Sirius nodded, "I love you Cassidy."

"I love you too Sirius."

"I miss you."

"I miss you too."

"Can I have a goodbye kiss?"

"Of course you can."

Sirius leaned in and felt Cassidy's soft lips upon his. Merlin, did it feel good to have her in his arms again, kissing those soft lips upon his again.

An alarm went off and Sirius was pulled from his dream, he was alone again. Cassidy was still dead and he would never see her beautiful soul again among him. This thought broke Sirius down all over again.


	13. Sirius's Grief

****

Chapter 13

Lily had heard a noise, like an alarm clock go off but she didn't hear Sirius get up. Cassidy had told Lily before Cassidy had passed away, that Sirius was such a heavy sleeper that there had been times when Sirius fell off the bed and would wake up the next morning still on the floor.

James had already jumped in the shower and Lily really wanted to join her husband, but at the moment Lily was going to keep up on her promise to her now deceased friend. Lily was going to make sure her best friend's husband was alright.

The fact was Sirius Black wasn't alright and Lily could hear sobs outside of the room Sirius was staying in.

Lily knocked on the door, "Sirius are you okay?"

Lily heard Sirius shuffle around and blow his nose, "Yes Lily I am fine. I think I have caught a cold, can you tell James that I won't be going in today?"

"Are you okay Sirius?" Lily asked through the door again, "I can talk to you if you like. I only have a couple of classes today and I have the best grade in the class, if you like I can stay home with you today."

Sirius's voice got really strong, "No. No, Lily I am fine."

"Okay," Lily said warily.

Lily joined James in the shower right before he got out, "You are a bit sleepy today aren't you?"

Lily was getting her hair wet as James was finishing soaping up, "I wasn't sleeping James."

James frowned at his wife, she didn't have her usual spunk about her. "What's wrong love?"

"I heard Sirius's alarm clock go off after yours and I wondered why he didn't get up. When I was outside of his door to wake him up, I heard him crying. Sirius insisted that he was okay and to tell you that he had a cold and that he wasn't going into work today."

"Oh," James face fell.

"What?"

"I got up last night to get something to drink and I heard him calling out to Cassidy, as if she was in the room but wouldn't come to him. When he takes a shower, I have passed the door before and I hear him crying in the shower too."

"Oh James," Lily sighed as she was washing the shampoo out of her hair. "What are we going to do? Why won't he come to us and let us help him."

James got out of the shower and began to dry off with his fluffy scarlet towel, "He's not ready to let anyone in. We need to be there for Sirius when he asks us to be there."

Lily stuck her head out of the shower curtain while she was rubbing conditioner in her hair, "Then what do we do until then?"

"Wait."

"Wait! Are you bloody serious!"

"Yes I am serious, why would I say something and not be serious?"

Lily got back in the water and washed the conditioner out of her hair, and began to soap her body up. "I don't know, you are James Potter after all. Most of our Hogwarts career you weren't serious, you just hung out with your friend Sirius."

"Lily don't do the pun thing, it's so old."

"Fine," Lily hissed from behind the shower curtain.

James pulled the curtain back to see what Lily was moody about, "What's wrong with you?"

"You tell us just to wait on Sirius, I thought you were his best friend!"

"I am!"

"Then why aren't you worried about him?"

James sighed as he closed the curtain and tied his towel around his waist so he could begin to brush his teeth, "Of course I worry about Sirius. Sirius is my brother."

"Then why don't you go ask him what's wrong."

"I know what's wrong Lily!"

Lily cut the water off and stepped out of the shower, wrapping a towel around her. "Don't you raise your voice at me, James Potter!"

"I don't have time for your dramatics Lily."

"Fine go shack up with Sirius tonight, and hopefully you can dry his bloody tears!" Lily yelled as she had tears streaming down her face.

James turned around and looked shocked to see Lily upset, "What did I do?"

"Nothing."

"Then why are you crying?"

Lily turned to brush her teeth, trying to make sure that James couldn't see her cry. "That is why I am crying, you are not trying to help your best friend out at all."

James turned Lily around and stared right into those beautiful emerald pools that he loved so much, "I have tried to help Sirius. But you know Sirius as well as I do, if we keep pushing him we will push him away. Do you really want to lose Sirius?"

"No," Lily said getting chocked up.

"Look I don't mean to yell at you, but you really aren't helping me out any."

"I lost her too!"

"Maybe you shouldn't go to class today."

"And why the hell not!"

James began to pull at his hair, "Look. We tried to get Sirius to move in with us right after Cassidy died and he wouldn't. He's not alright and he will come to us when he's ready, _trust me_ on this one please! I know Sirius better than anyone right now."

"You act as if he was all on his own. Sirius was staying with Remus and Gabby."

"No he wasn't."

"How do you know?

"He told me yesterday."

"So did he go back to his house?"

"No," James said shaking his head and walked into their bedroom so he could begin to get dressed for work. "He sold their house."

Lily spit in the sink and rinsed it and stormed into their bedroom, "_He what!_"

James sighed as he was slipping on his training pants, "Sirius sold their house."

"I…I can't believe it," Lily said sitting down on their bed still in her towel, and dried her hair with a wave of her wand.

"I can," James said slipping his shirt over his head.

"You can?"

"Yeah," James nodded walking over to kiss Lily lightly on her lips. "I would sell our house if you passed away too."

"You would?"

"Yup," James said now slipping on his socks and shoes as Lily went over to their wardrobe and began to get dressed for her classes.

"Even with all the wonderful memories we have made here? You would sell our lovely home?"

"I couldn't live here without you, it would just be to painful."

"Really?"

Lily slipped a sundress on and James came behind her and slipped his arms around her small waist, "Really."

Lily turned around and held on to James as tightly as she could, "I would miss you too much I believe to go on."

James pulled Lily's chin up so they could look into each other's eyes and James wiped Lily's stray tear away. "Let's not think about that now, okay?"

"Sure," Lily nodded as she leaned up to kiss James lightly.

"I am going to check on Sirius and see if still isn't going into work today."

"Hang on James," James turned back around to see the amazing beauty in front of him.

"Yes?"

"Where did Sirius stay if he wasn't at the house or at Remus and Gabby's?"

James shook his head with a sad expression, "A room at the Leaky."

"What?" Lily asked sounding crestfallen.

"That's what I said."

"So why didn't he contact us?"

"I guess he needed to be on his own for a bit."

"I am glad that Sirius finally came around and moved in with us."

"Me too," James said smiling down at his beautiful wife. "I told him he could crash at our house until he could get on his own two feet."

"What did he say?"

James smiled a big smile that hadn't been shown for a good few days, "He said that he appreciated that, but that he would be looking for a small flat for himself shortly."

"Oh."

"You sound sad?"

"Cassidy and I promised one another that if one of us passed away, that we would look after each other's husband."

James kissed Lily's porcelain forehead, "You are doing a wonderful job, you know that?"

"Am I?"

"Of course, Cassidy would be proud."

Lily smiled, what James had said made Lily feel a lot better. "Go check on Sirius and I am going to start some breakfast. Tell Sirius even if he is too under the weather that he can still have breakfast with us."

"Okay, see you in a few minutes."

Lily cracked a big smile at her tall and handsome husband, "I'll be waiting on you."

James knocked at the guestroom that Sirius was staying in, "Padfoot are you up?"

No answer.

"Lily told me you were feeling a bit under the weather and I was coming to check on you. I was wondering if you were still feeling bad or if you were going to come into work."

Still no answer.

"Padfoot?"

There was a click behind James and he turned around to see the guest bathroom open up, and James felt his heart break. James's best friend looked a complete mess, "Padfoot are you okay?"

Sirius looked paler than James had ever seen, his eyes were all red and blotchy, and Sirius was stumbling along.

"No," Sirius coughed. "Since Lily came to the door, I've been vomiting the whole time."

"You want me to call a doctor?"

"Don't worry," Sirius waved off. "Could you ask Lily to brew me a potion to help me get over this cold a bit?"

"Sure, Lily only has a few morning classes today. She'll be home by lunch, she can probably brew it then."

"Okay," Sirius nodded. "Can you tell them I'm not coming in today?"

"Of course Padfoot. Lily's making breakfast."

Sirius began to start coughing like crazy and then uttered out, "Thanks Prongsie. Tell Lily thanks too, but I'm not all that hungry." Sirius went back in the bedroom and shut the door.

"How's he doing?" Lily asked as she set a plate of eggs, bacon, and toast in front of her husband for almost three months now.

James sighed and looked up at Lily as she sat down behind her plate of breakfast, "He looks horrible."

"Oh no."

"I think he's so upset that he's making himself sick."

"I just don't understand," Lily said eating her eggs. "I thought he was doing okay."

"So did I," James sighed.

"I wonder what upset him so badly? Sirius seemed fine last night at dinner."

"I thought so too," James looked down at his watch. "I hate to cut this short love, but I've got to get to work."

Lily looked at the clock on the wall above James's head, "That's fine. I have to leave in about ten minutes for my first class."

James got up and walked across the table to where Lily had been sitting and leaned down to kiss her goodbye, "Thank you. Breakfast was good, and you are wonderful."

"I love you."

"Love you too, and I'll see you after work."

"Bye."

"Bye Lily Flower," James disapparated and Lily sighed.

Truthfully Lily wasn't all that hungry so she waved her wand and cleaned the plates of food off. The plates soared to the sink, where they began to wash themselves. Lily headed upstairs and knocked on the door that Sirius was staying in but there was no answer.

"Sirius, James just left for work and I am about to leave for class. I'll be home about eleven thirty and James should be home right before dinner. Come down for lunch please, and I'll brew your potion after we have lunch."

To Lily's surprise the bedroom door opened and Sirius gave Lily a sad smile, "I promise I will."

"Good, now you get some rest. I'll be home in four hours."

"Bye Lils."

"Bye Sirius," Lily walked back downstairs and disapparated from there.

"Why do you look so down James?" Alice asked as they were standing in a line about to do some personal training.

"Yeah what's up?" Frank asked as he was stretching in place.

"Sirius."

Alice looked around and then noticed that Sirius was missing. "Well where is he?"

"At home."

"Is he still staying with Remus and Gabby?" Frank asked.

"Nope, he was actually staying at a room at the Leaky."

"What!" Alice's big blue eyes almost popped completely out of her head, "Why! He could have stayed with us!"

"Yeah," Frank nodded.

"I don't know, I guess he wanted to be on his own…you know think about everything. Lily and I invited him over for dinner last night…"

"Did he show up this time?" Alice asked.

"How did you know about him not showing up?" James questioned.

"Lily."

"Oh yeah," James blushed as he had just asked a stupid question.

"It's cool," Alice said letting the stupid question roll off of her shoulder. "So did he actually show up this time?"

"Yeah," James nodded smiling. "Sirius even asked if he could stay with us in one of the guestrooms until he could get on his own and find a place of his own."

"What did you guys say?" Frank asked.

"They said yes of course," Alice said rolling her eyes at her husband's stupid question.

"We told him to take all of the time he needed. Funny thing is that Sirius seemed completely fine last night and then today he told Lily to tell me that he wasn't coming into work today because he doesn't feel good. Lily said she heard him crying from the hallway. I went to check on him and Sirius was pale white and he looked so sick."

"Do you really think he's sick?" Frank asked.

"I think he's is so upset with grief that he has made himself sick," James sighed running his hands through his hair with frustration.

"Don't let Lily see that you have picked that habit up again," Alice chuckled.

James would have something smart, but the instructor yelled. "Oy Potter, come here!"

"Be right back," James said to Frank and Alice as James ran across the field to one of their instructors.

"Yes sir?"

"Where is your partner Black?"

"He has fallen ill."

"What?"

"He has fallen ill, sir."

"Black seemed fine yesterday Potter."

"Yes sir I know, but I think he is grieving so much that he made himself sick."

"Grieving?"

James nodded to the instructors question, "Black lost his wife a month ago to a Death Eater attack at their home."

The instructor's face fell, "I remember reading that in the paper now. I didn't know it was Black, I mean I knew it was a Black but…"

"Yes sir, I understand."

"Well since Black is your partner, you can't really do anything today without him here. So you might as well go home."

"Sir yes sir."

After Lily got out of school, she was surprised to see her husband asleep on the couch in the living room in front of their television.

"James?" Lily asked as she sank down in front of the couch, "James?"

"Hmm?" James asked as he opened his eyes and smiled to see that Lily was home.

"What are you doing home, love?"

"Instructor sent me home."

"Why?"

"Sirius is my partner and I really can't do anything at work without him."

"Oh," Lily said nodding as she understood what James was saying. "What do you want for lunch?"

"Can we just have some hot dogs?"

"Are you sure?"

James nodded his head yes, "I don't want you to be in the kitchen all night. I want to spend time with you."

"What about Sirius?"

"He won't come down."

"He won't?" Lily asked obviously very worried about her good friend.

"Nope, I even told him that I would cook lunch and surprise you with it."

"And?"

"He said he doesn't feel like coming down."

"Okay," Lily nodded. "I am going to start the hotdogs and if Sirius doesn't want to eat down here with us, then he can eat upstairs. Also, I will start brewing that potion for him."

James stood up and kissed Lily passionately and when the broke from the kiss, Lily stumbled backwards. "What was that for?"

"Because you are the best and because I love you."

"I love you too."

Gabriella and Remus showed up at Frank and Alice's house, as Alice had invited them over for dinner.

"Alice? Frank? Are you guys here?"

"In the kitchen!" Came Frank's voice.

Remus nodded and pushed Gabriella's chair into the kitchen, "Smells good in here."

"Thanks," Alice snapped.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" Gabriella asked.

"Why didn't you guys tell any of us that Sirius only stayed with you guys only a few nights after Cassidy's funeral?"

"I don't know," Gabriella shrugged. "He kind of suggested that he didn't want anyone to know. Why do you ask?"

"Did you guys know that he had been staying at the Leaky?"

"What!" Remus and Gabriella yelled at the same time.

"No we didn't know that," Remus said looking terribly sorry.

"How did you find out?" GAbriella asked.

"James today at work."

"How did James know?"

"Sirius."

"Is he still staying there?" Remus asked.

"No," Frank spoke up. "Sirius is staying with James and Lily now."

"Then why are you jumping my case?" Gabriella asked turning to her best friend.

"I just think that it's messed up that you guys didn't tell us that Sirius moved out."

"Wasn't really our business to tell," Gabriella said rolling her eyes.

"We figured he went to stay at the cottage in Hogsmede," Remus said honestly.

"Nope," Alice sighed. "Sirius sold it."

"What!" Remus and Gabriella looked totally surprised at this news.

"I'm not surprised," Frank spoke up.

"You aren't?" Alice asked looking oddly at her husband, "Why aren't you?"

"He probably can't stay there without her there, wounds are still too deep."

"That's stupid," Alice said rolling her eyes.

"No it's not," Frank spoke up. "I would sell the house if you had died, let alone been murdered in our house."

Alice's eyes dropped, "I didn't think about that. I guess if you had been murdered in our home too, I would sell it."

"I would," Remus and Gabriella agreed.

"Now I feel like a total bitch," Alice sighed dropping down into a free kitchen chair.

"How did you find all this out from James and not Sirius?" Remus asked.

"Sirius didn't show up for work and James was telling us about it."

"Sirius didn't show up for work?" Remus asked totally concerned about one of his best friends now.

"Nope," Frank said handing all the plates down with food, as Alice made the drinks, at the table to their guests.

"Why not?" Gabriella asked as she began to eat the pork chops that Alice had fixed for dinner.

"Felt under the weather," Alice said as she placed the drinks down. "Or that's what Sirius was telling James and Lily."

"What do you think?" Gabriella asked.

"Well James told Frank and I that Lily and he, thought that Sirius was so upset with grief that he was making himself sick."

"Makes since," Gabriella sighed.

"Weird thing is," Frank spoke up. "Was that James said that Sirius was fine the night before and then all of a sudden this morning he was upset."

"Wonder what happened," Gabriella said.

"Me too," Frank and Alice agreed.

Remus just stayed quiet, and no one mentioned him being quiet. It was obvious why Remus was quiet. Remus was upset about his friend's grief, like them all. Only difference was that Remus and Sirius had been best friends for eight years now.


	14. Clowns

****

Chapter 14

Sirius didn't come down for lunch or dinner that day or the next day. Lily still made food enough for the three of them and she would knock on Sirius's door and tell him that she left a plate of food for him outside of the bedroom door. Then Lily would go to Sirius's room an hour later and the empty plate and glass would be sitting there waiting on her.

Both Lily and James were worried about their friend, and James's instructor told James to come back to work. If both James and Sirius weren't there to learn what was going on in their Auror classes, then they wouldn't be able to go out on the field until much later on. The instructor told James that once Sirius was up and about, then James could teach Sirius what they had been learning in class.

A week and a half later, Sirius joined Lily and James at dinner.

"Hullo," Sirius muttered. Lily felt her heart break, but Lily didn't let a tear fall.

"Hi Sirius, it's wonderful to see you." Lily said smiling from ear to ear to see her wonderful friend.

"Hey Padfoot, want to join us for dinner? Lily made meatloaf, Lily makes wonderful meatloaf."

"Is there really enough for me too?" Sirius asked looking between Lily and James.

"Of course there is enough silly," Lily said getting up and guiding Sirius to an empty seat. "Let me get it for you, okay?"

"Are you sure…"

"Sirius stop," Lily said pushing Sirius back down into his chair. "I will get your dinner, and now you sit here with James. I will be back."

After Lily left the dinning room and headed to the kitchen, James spoke up. "How are you doing, old friend?"

Sirius sighed and shrugged, "As best as can be expected. Cassidy came to me the other night."

"Wait, what?'

"Cassidy came to me in my dreams the other night."

"Really?"

"Yeah," Sirius chuckled shifting the blanket around his shoulders. "I got to say goodbye and she said that she wouldn't come back."

"I'm sorry Padfoot."

"That's the day I got all upset, it was like I lost her all over again. I…I shouldn't have shut you guys out, you are the best friend I've got."

"Remus, Gabby, Frank, and Alice are worried about you too. They come over everyday asking how you are doing."

"Cassidy told me that you guys would look over me. Hey, what's Pete been up to?"

"Got a new girl," James chuckled. "To think he had the worst luck in the world with girls in school and now that we had all settled down he is lucky with the girls."

"Yeah," Sirius said as he curled his nose. "At least we had hot girls we jumped to here and there. All the girls that Peter jumped to here and there are hideous."

James chuckled, "That's true."

"What are you guys talking about?" Lily asked as she walked in putting Sirius's plate of meatloaf in front of him and a glass of butterbeer.

"Pete's numerous girls," Sirius chuckled the first laugh he had had since Cassidy had come to Sirius in his dreams.

Lily snorted, which got the other two guys to laugh at her. "Peter's girls, do you guys really believe that?"

"Why not?" James asked.

"Peter isn't really a looker."

"Weef ooh zaat," Sirius uttered. Lily looked disgusted as she joined the guys back at the table and James cracked up.

"Chew and sallow, Sirius." Lily laughed wondering when he would choke on food from stuffing his mouth and trying to eat.

"I said, we know that."

"Oh," Lily nodded. "Then why are you guys talking about 'Peter's girls.' We all know he's making them up. The few he has brought around are hideous."

Sirius's eyes got big as he turned to Lily, "You being mean? That's really odd."

Lily shrugged her shoulders, "I don't know. It's weird. Is it just me or has Peter been acting weird since right before we graduated?"

"Yeah, but I wouldn't say weird."

"Yeah," Sirius chuckled at James's response. "Peter has always been the weird one of the four of us."

"True," James nodded. "But that's not what I was trying to say. I was trying to say that Pete probably got really distant because all of us got really good N.E.W.T.s and we all got good jobs. He's waiting tables at the Leaky."

"Remus wasn't able to get a job," Lily pointed out.

"True," James nodded. "Remus gets little jobs here and there."

"But we all know that Remus truly wants to become a teacher," Sirius said giving a sad look at Lily and James.

"Yeah, and no one will allow him to become a teacher while being a werewolf."

"Sadly you are right Lily Flower," James sighed sadly. "Unless someone can help out the werewolves."

Remus had some side jobs here and there, just enough to get Gabriella and him by. Gabby ended up quitting the job at Gringotts. Gabriella had always been such a wiz at Potions and Gabriella got a better paying job at the Ministry by brewing potions and inventing new potions. Gabriella would be making enough money that Remus wouldn't have to do any odd jobs or try and fight for his rights.

Gabriella knew that Remus would never stop fighting for his rights and this is one of the many reasons that Gabriella loved Remus so much.

Tonight would be a full moon and Remus would be Flooing to the Shrieking Shack on Hogwarts property. Albus Dumbledore had told Remus a long time ago that it would still be okay for Remus to use the shack during his transformations. James would be there to help out for a little while, Sirius was going to stay with Remus tonight, and Peter was away for something to do with his family.

"Are you sure you are going to be okay, here alone tonight?" Remus asked looking very worried. Remus took Gabby out of her wheelchair and pulled her into his lap.

Gabby wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed Remus passionately on his lips, "I promise I will be okay."

"Are you sure?"

"Remus, we have gone through your transformations since we got together. I have gotten use to staying at our little flat alone since we graduated and moved in together."

"Yes but…"

"My chair?" Gabriella sighed, "I don't handicap you because you are a werewolf so please don't handicap me because I have no feelings in my legs anymore."

"I'm sorry love," Remus said kissing Gabby on her forehead. "I am just…"

"Worried about me?"

"Yeah."

"I'll be fine I promise."

"That's what you said last time," Remus said as he turned his soft eyes to look into Gabriella's dark chocolate brown eyes. "Thank Merlin, Alice came by to ask you a question on a recipe for a dish you gave her."

"I would have been fine," Gabby lied.

"Yeah bloody right you would have, you had fallen out of your chair. Your chair rolled all the way across the room and your upper body strength hasn't built up enough for you to army crawl all the way across the room."

"Yeah, yeah."

"Don't pass this off Gabriella," Remus spoke with only seriousness in his voice. "When I found out, I was so worried."

Gabby sighed in frustration, "Okay fine."

"What?"

"I'll ask Lily if I can stay over at her house tonight if it makes you feel any better."

"Really?"

"Yes, but only for you."

"Should we call her now?" Remus asked looking over at the clock.

"No, Lily has to be at school today before I have to be at work. I have to be at work in ten minutes, so try her sometime after two today."

"Okay."

"What are you doing today?"

Remus sighed, "Helping my great aunt with more things at her house _again_."

"At least you are doing something and not moping around the house as usual."

"Thanks Gab," Remus said with a tone Gabriella had never heard from him. Remus carried her back to her chair and went into the bathroom.

Gabriella wheeled after Remus into the bathroom, "Remus?"

"Just leave me alone right now, _please_."

"What did I do?"

Remus turned around and there was only a look of failure upon his face, "I have failed you. I know that I am useless, but you just confirmed it."

Tears began to stream down Gabriella's face and she began to gasp, "No I didn't!"

"Yes you did," Remus said combing his hair.

"If I did, I didn't mean it. I just thought you would be happy to get out of the house." Tears were falling down Gabriella's olive colored face, and Remus was just too upset with Gabriella to look at her. He knew that if he looked at her right now he would buckle and at the moment he just felt like being upset. Not really at her, but just at life in general.

"You should get to work, you don't want to be late."

Gabriella sniffled as she wiped her stray tears away, "I love you."

Gabriella couldn't think about the fight that she had just had with Remus. Gabriella had been keen on getting this potion she had been working on for sometime. All the work, all the research, and the ultimate prize would come after Gabriella got this potion down.

"Martinez?" A voice asked from above her, as Gabriella was sitting beside her cauldron.

Gabriella looked up and saw that it was her boss, "Yes sir?"

"Is everything alright at home?"

"Yeah," Gabriella said adjusting her spectacles on her nose.

"You are lying."

"So what if I am?" Gabriella sighed, "I am not letting effect my work. If anything I am more focused to get this to work."

"Fight with Lupin again?"

"Yeah," Gabriella yelled trying to tell her boss that this subject was off limits.

"Maybe you should let him know what you are working on."

"No thanks."

"Why not."

"Look, I don't want to talk about it. I am really not in the mood and I would just like to get this project over with."

"Alright Martinez," Gabby's boss nodded. "About how much longer do you think you have?"

"Well I need to do a couple more tests on it and then I'll show you it. If it's up to standards, then you can present it."

"No."

Gabriella looked back up at her boss, "Excuse me?"

"I am not going to take the credit for all of the hard work you have been doing on this project. You will present this and you will tell everyone that this was all your idea."

"But…"

"There are no buts, Martinez. You have done all the work and all the research. I want you to claim this as you have done all the work. All your sweat and blood has gone into this. Do you understand?"

"If you are sure."

"Positive."

James and Sirius got home from their Auror school an hour earlier than usual, and they were surprised to see Gabriella Martinez.

"Hey Gabby!" Sirius said running to his good friend and giving her a big hug, "What a pleasant surprise!"

"That's what I said when I got home from school and saw that Remus had stopped by and left me a message on the kitchen table."

"What did it say?" James asked.

"Asked if it would be okay if Gabby stayed with us until the full moon passes. I went up to Gabby's work to see her and told her that it would of course be fine. Besides James, now if you want to stay with Remus and Sirius you can. You won't have to worry about leaving me here alone because Gabby will be here."

"I am still coming back home," James said sitting in his favorite armchair. "Someone will need to be here to protect you girls."

Sirius began to snicker, "Yeah right he just wants to get Lily alone, as usual."

"Hush you," Lily said playfully shoving Sirius.

"Sounds like a circus blew up in here," Alice said coming out of the fireplace as she had Flooed over here.

"What's a circus?" Sirius asked.

"Muggle thing," Lily said casually.

"But how would Alice know what it is?"

"Lily dragged all of us to one of those horrid things," Alice sighed as she sat on the loveseat. Frank was now climbing out of the fireplace and walked over to the loveseat to join his wife.

"It wasn't _that_ bad," Lily said rolling her eyes as she crawled up into James's lap.

"Are you kidding me!" Gabriella said staring at her friend in disbelief, "Those things scared the three of us crazy. I'm surprised we aren't at the mental ward at St. Mungo's."

No one noticed that when Gabriella said the three of us, that Sirius lost color in his face. Ah yes, the subject of Cassidy.

"What things?" Frank asked.

"These," James flicked his wand and two clowns popped out of no where.

"Oh Merlin! What the hell is that!" Frank yelled pulling Alice up in his lap trying to protect her.

"They are called clowns," Lily said in disbelief as all of her friends began to coward over. Lily was laughing manically and James loved the ruckus that was occurring.

"What are those for!" Sirius asked as he had now jumped into Gabriella's lap and made her wheelchair roll a bit.

"Kids love them," Lily said simply as she watched the clowns.

"I don't know why they are scary!" Sirius's eyes got wide as he turned to look at James, "Is…is Lily one of…_them_."

"What!" Lily asked as she looked at her husband's best friend in a new light she had never looked at him before.

"What do you mean Padfoot?"

"Look!" Sirius screeched almost like a woman in fear, "Lily has their hair!"

"It's just a wig," Gabriella giggled as she had seen these horrible things once before.

Sirius nodded and jumped out of Gabriella's lap and began to tug on Lily's head, "Come off you demon thing!"

"Sirius quit it!" Lily screeched as Sirius was now trying to yank her hair out of her head. "I am not wearing a wig."

"Don't lie to me you damned clownie thing!"

"Sirius quit!" Lily screamed. James flicked his wand and the clowns were gone. The amusement was now that Sirius couldn't get it through his head that Lily was not a clown. Sirius was trying to take Lily's hair out of her head.

"Poor Prongsie," Sirius moaned as he was fighting with Lily to take her hair out. "Married to a horrible clown, I still love you!"

Lily pulled herself away from Sirius, as everyone had been laughing at them. "I am not a clown! I don't even look like a damned clown!"

"Oh I don't know," Sirius said in a sing song voice. "You've got their red hair, white skin, and rosy cheeks."

"I've got red hair and a milky complexion because of my parents. I've got rosy cheeks because you are driving me insane!"

"Oh I don't know, I think your parents were clowns too!"

Lily waved her wand and Sirius became a coffee table in which Lily sat upon and smiled happily, "Now that he is taken care of."

"Um," James spoke up. "Love how long are you going to keep him like that?"

"I don't know, why?"

"Because we need to head to the shrieking shack soon."

"I will in a bit, this is what he gets for telling me I look like a clown. I mean _really_."

"So what are the purpose of those things again?" Frank asked as he let Alice sit beside him now and not in his lap.

"You have them at the circus," Lily explained.

"What's a circus?"

"A entertainment show that muggles kind of have," Alice spoke up.

"Wait," Frank blinked. "Muggle children like those things?"

"Well some do…

Frank looked at Lily oddly, "You muggles are really weird."

"Frank!" Alice hissed.

"What!"

"I am not a muggle," Lily spoke up. "I am a witch, a Muggleborn witch."

"Those things are evil looking," Frank said staring at the spot where they had appeared. "I never want to see another one in my entire life. I think that they might actually be worse than Dementors."

"No," Lily said shaking her head. "That would be Sirius telling me that I look like a damned clown."

Once the full moon had passed, Remus had been informed of the clown fiasco. Everyone began to laugh again, except for Sirius and Lily. Sirius didn't want to be turned into a coffee table again and have Lily tap dance on top of him. Lily was still angry that Sirius had said that she looked like a clown.

The night before when James had gotten back from the shrieking shack, he had found Lily crying in their bed.

James changed out of his clothes and crawled in bed with Lily. James pulled her close and Lily rested her head on his bare chest as she continued to cry.

James moved so he look into Lily's beautiful emerald eyes, "What's wrong love?"

Lily sat up and her face was splotchy and there were tears streaks all down her face. Tears were still streaming down her face and James sat up and pulled her close.

"What's wrong love?" James repeated again.

Lily looked straight into James's beautiful hazel eyes, "Why did you marry me?"

James blinked a couple of times at this question, "What!"

"Why did you marry me?" Lily repeated again.

"Because I love you and I couldn't live without you. Why? Are you tired of me already? Do you want a divorce?"

"No," Lily said shaking her head. "I just don't see what you see in me."

"I love you Lily. You are everything I ever wanted in a woman, you complete me. You really are my second half. My better half."

"I am not beautiful!" Lily sobbed and threw her face into James's chest.

James felt his eyes get wide as he pulled her up and looked at her straight in the eyes, "Who lied to you?"

"Sirius said I look like a clown!" Lily sobbed even harder and now it was hard for James to keep his composure.

"No you don't."

"Yes I do! I got the ugly red hair, and white skin and red cheeks!"

This was getting to hard to handle now, "I love your red hair. If you didn't have milky skin it would clash horribly with your beautiful hair. You only get rosy cheeks when you are mad or upset. When you get all flustered it makes you even more beautiful."

Lily stopped crying and looked at James like he was a mad man, "You think clowns are hot?"

"No!" James said laughing so hard that he was sure he had broken a few ribs. "You look nothing like a clown. Sure there are some things alike, but there are a lot of differences. You have a beautiful auburn colored hair and theirs is bright orange. You have beautiful milky skin and theirs is painted white. Their cheeks are bright pink makeup and yours is natural."

James then pulled Lily up into his lap, "You are the most beautiful woman in the world and I wouldn't change a thing about you."

"Really?"

"Yes."

"I would change something about you," Lily said honestly.

"What!" James said pushing her back on the bed in which he got a teary giggle from his wife. "And what would you change?"

"Your hair!" Lily said running her hands through it playfully.

"Lily!" James whined.

"I really hope our children don't inherit your hair."

"That's it, tickle time!"

"No!" Lily screeched.


	15. Einstein

****

Chapter 15

Things soon got back to normal, or whatever normal was for three witches and five wizards. The Marauder's and friends were slowly but surely getting over the tragic death of Cassidy Black.

"It is so nice for you to stop by Peter," Lily said smiling at him as she brought Peter, James, and Sirius some lemonade and crumpets.

"Thank you," Peter said but inside he was screaming for thanking that filthy Mudblood for anything.

"I've got to go study James," Lily said leaning down to give her husband a kiss on the lips. "You visit with your friends, and Remus said that he should be by soon."

"Thanks love," James said smiling as he wife walked up the stairs and to their bedroom to study for her Healer classes.

"Beautiful isn't she?" James sighed.

"Still got it?" Peter said with disgust that the other didn't hear.

"Of course Prongsie still has it," Sirius said patting his best friend on the back. "Prongsie here has been in love with Lily for eight years now.

"Honestly Prongs," Peter said turning to his good friend. "What do you see in her?"

"What!" James and Sirius asked at the same time.

"What are you talking about Wormtail?" James said as you could hear his voice rising.

Peter blinked, he had to come up with some kind of a cover up. "I mean, what makes you know that you want to marry a woman like Lily…like how did you know?"

"Oh," James nodded.

"It's complicated," Sirius said fidgeting with his hands. "You just kind of know."

"Yeah. I always loved Lily, but after our first date I just knew that she was the woman I wanted to marry. The woman I wanted to carry and have my children."

"You knew that too?" Peter asked Sirius.

"Yeah," Sirius said as his eyes glazed over. "With Cassidy, I just knew. Since Cassidy had been very popular with the guys I never told her how I truly felt."

"Yeah but you didn't talk about marrying her until you found out that she was pregnant."

"Sure I didn't talk about it," Sirius nodded. "That doesn't mean that I didn't think about it. I knew that I wanted to marry Cassidy, but I never brought it up. When Cassidy told me that she was pregnant with Aurora, I knew that this was it. That Cassidy and Aurora would be my family and that I wanted to spend the rest of my life with the love of my life and my unborn child."

"Oh," Peter nodded.

"Any lucky lady that you want to make your wife?" James asked elbowing Peter in the shoulder.

"No," Peter lied. In Peter's mind there was only one woman that he would every want with the title 'Mrs. Pettigrew.' Unfortunately the woman he wanted to be his wife, was already someone else's wife.

"You sure Pete, sounds as if you are trying to convince yourself that you don't want to make a special woman your wife."

"No, I am going to be a bachelor for the rest of my life."

"Hey you guys," Remus Lupin said stepping out of the grate from coming over to Lily and James's house by Floo Network. "What are you guys blubbering about?"

"Peter asked how I knew that Lily was the woman for me…"

"Duh," Remus chuckled sitting beside Sirius on the couch. "James was just in love with Lily for how long?"

Sirius chuckled along with Remus and Peter looked put out and James turned quaffle red.

"What are you guys saying about me?" Lily asked walking down the stairs that came into the living room.

"I thought you were suppose to be studying!" Sirius yelled.

"Shut up Padfoot," Lily growled. "This is my house and I'll go tell you to bunk with Alice and Frank if you don't watch it!"

"No!" Sirius shrieked like a little girl, "Not with that nitpicky clean freak!"

"Then you treat me like James treats me."

"No!" Sirius stood outraged, "James acts like a spineless git around you!"

"Hey!" James yelled outraged while Remus and Peter snickered at Sirius's response because they knew that Sirius had a point.

Lily rolled her eyes at the immaturity these boys still possessed and she went to the destination she had been headed to, the kitchen. Vanilla ice cream with chocolate syrup sounded wonderful.

Lily walked into the living room, just remembering something that she had forgotten to ask James since they had moved into their home.

"James?" Lily asked walking back into the living room with her ice cream in the bowl that was sitting in her hand.

"Yes love?"

"Alice and Gabby are suppose to be stopping by later on, could you tell them to come up to just go on up to the bedroom."

"I thought you were studying?" Sirius asked.

"_I am_, but I can stop here and there to hang out with my friends, Einstein."

Sirius shook his head, "I am not Einstein, I'm Sirius." Sirius turned towards James, "Who is Einstein?"

"I don't know," James blinked as he really began to think about it.

"Maybe Lily is cheating on you with this Einstein guy," Sirius said shrugging. At this moment Sirius got two slaps in the back of the head courtesy of James and Remus. Peter looked around as he was completely lost and Lily threw a pillow at Sirius.

"Who is Einstein?" James asked as he stood up to look squarely in Lily's brilliant green eyes. "I don't like him."

Lily began to laugh manically, "You don't know him or who he is."

"Ah ha!" James said raising his hand in the air, "There is another man." James had been proud that he was right, but then he realized what he had been right about this and his gorgeous face fell. "Why?"

"Why what?" Lily asked innocently.

James turned to his friends, "You guys need to leave now. We need to be alone."

"No way!" Sirius jumped up, "I want to know who this Einstein guy is." Remus hit Sirius's upside his head again. Remus dragged the very curious Peter and Sirius away and they had to eventually apparate.

James didn't move and when Lily turned back to see that all the color in James's face was gone, and was that tears filling in his eyes?

"James?" Lily spoke up trying to explain.

James fell back on the couch and threw his face into his hands, and Lily saw his body shake a bit. Lily heard a muffled James ask, "Why Lily? Why?"

"What!" Lily asked as she was just amazed how much this stupid comment brought on.

James jumped up and Lily almost cried when she saw how destroyed the love of her life looked, "Why Lily? **WHY**! I thought you loved me! **I THOUGHT YOU LOVED ME**!"

"I do," Lily said walking up to James but when she touched him he jumped back as if he'd just been stung.

"No Lily, no." James said shaking his head as he was pulling his hair out, and then James waved his wand. A suitcase with the majority of this things were in it, "I'll be at Remus's. Don't bother trying to contact me…"

"James no!" Lily screamed as she felt tears falling down, "I was just messing with you. I am not cheating on you."

"How can I trust you!" James yelled grabbing Lily by her shoulders, "Merlin I loved you!"

"You still do, just wait and hear me out."

"How will I know that you aren't lying to me!"

Lily pushed James away and ran to a book on a book case and opened it up, "This is Einstein. He was a Muggle genius, so when Sirius said something stupid I called him Einstein."

James took the book from Lily and read the date and saw that this man died almost twenty-three years ago.

"Do you see now?" Lily asked as tears filled up in her brilliant green eyes and when James looked up from the book. James felt himself felt like a complete idiot and saw how he had just scared the living shit out of his new wife.

"Lily," James whispered as he pulled his fragile wife into his arms and just tried to figure out what the hell was going on. Had James just indeed almost walked out on the woman he loved more than life itself because of Sirius's being at total arse. That and James's absent mind with the Muggle world.

James felt horrible as he felt Lily's fragile body shaking against his, and he just realized that not only had he scared himself to death but his wife too.

"I'm so sorry," James whispered as he was stroking that lovely red hair he loved so much. Just then James realized he was standing, he thought he'd been sitting. James really had no idea what had just happened.

"I thought I'd lost you," Lily sobbed into James's chest.

"Shh," James said stroking Lily's hair as he was trying to sooth not only his now hysterical wife but himself.

A while later, they were standing there and James spoke up.

"Let's go to bed."

Lily pulled back and James almost started crying himself when he saw the look upon her face. Lily looked as if she had been to hell and back. Lily's lovely fire red locks were scattered everywhere, her face was all blotchy and red, and the lovely green eyes that usual held happiness and love for James there was something else in them just now. Then James realized what it was, she was scared. Lily was scared of what James was just about to do, to leave her.

"Don't leave me," Lily whispered as tears fell down her face.

"No," James pulled her close again. "Never."

"Promise?" Lily whispered as her body shook against his again.

James pulled back, "I promise."

Even though Lily looked as if her world was about to come crumbling down around her, James pulled her face close to his. Lily gasped lightly but closed her eyes as James's index finger was pulling her chin closer and closer to him.

Lily soon felt James's soft lips upon hers, their lips moving in a familiar rhythmic movement. Lily soon wrapped her arms around James's neck and she felt his arms get tighter around her waist.

Lily opened her mouth to allow James more access to the kiss, and James took the invitation. The kiss instantly increased in passion, and there was a hunger in it from the both of them. James felt as if he had to prove to Lily that he loved her more than words could ever explain and Lily wanted to believe this. Lily had to know that James believed her story and that he still loved her. She couldn't lose him, no not James too.

Lily pulled herself closer to James and he walked them back to the couch. James kneeled down on the couch and laid Lily down and then he got on top of her, without them having to break away from their passion filled kiss.

Lily still felt tears falling down her face, but this time they weren't tears of sadness. The tears that now fell down her porcelain face.

James pressed his body as close to Lily as possible with their clothes still on and James ran his hands like mad through Lily's long mane, and if possible the kiss intensified. Lily moaned into their kiss and Lily could feel James smile.

James pulled away momentarily to look down at Lily, and she looked more beautiful than he could remember. James didn't have much time to stare at her as Lily pulled his face back down to hers, as a second kiss began.

James pulled away from her lips and began to kiss lightly up and down Lily's neck. Lily then leaned up and whispered into James's ear, "I want you."

James pulled away from her neck and gazed down at his wife, and he knew. James began to pull Lily's blouse off and Lily began to unbutton James's button down shirt.

Soon both Lily and James's clothes were littered upon the floor.

There was a small 'pop' and the person that had just apparated gasped and then began to giggle.

"Prongs? Lils?"

James heard Sirius's loud mouth and was about to yell at Sirius for coming into their bedroom, when James realized that Lily was snuggled up really close to him. Usually during the night Lily slacks off the snuggles a bit.

James began to blink his eyes and he saw big scarlet things in front of him, James's glasses were off of his face.

James then felt them above his head and after James had slipped his glasses on and he turned to see a very happy looking Sirius in front of them.

"Sirius!" James yelled and James ended up waking Lily up by his screaming. "Get out!"

"My, my!" Sirius giggled, as he sounded like a very fat child who just got some cake. "Isn't this _comfy_?"

"Get Sirius," Lily growled. Then Lily looked down and thanked Merlin that James had grabbed the blanket last night and it was thrown over the both of them for hiding the parts of themselves that the really didn't want Sirius to see.

Sirius sat down in the armchair to the right of Lily and James laying nude on their couch, under a blanket after last night's full night of love making.

"So I am guessing that Lily left that Einstein guys for you Prongsie?" Sirius chuckled loving to see his friends so embarrassed as he was basking in this glory.

"_Get out Sirius_," Lily said baring her teeth with lots of anger towards her husband's best friend.

"There was no Einstein, he was some Muggle genius. You almost had me leave Lily last night for no blood reason!" James yelled at his friend, "It is a Muggle slang for when a stupid person is being stupid. Sarcasm."

"Oh," Sirius laughed but then he stopped. "Wait…you almost left last night? Where would you have gone?"

Lily turned to look at James and it was apparent to him that she wasn't ready to talk about their fight that they had had the night before, and frankly James wasn't ready to talk about it either.

"Remus's," James said trying to avoid Lily's eyes at the moment.

"Why?"

"He was going to leave me, damn it Sirius!" Lily screamed, "You put in his bloody head that I was cheating on him. James was going to leave me and divorce me and it would have been all of your fault!"

Sirius's eyes bugged out, "You were going to leave her!"

"Go home Sirius!" Lily shrieked.

"I am home."

"Then go wherever you stayed last night," it was James's turn to growl.

"Fine," Sirius snapped. "I know when I am not wanted, meet you at work in an hour." Sirius left and James turned to look at Lily.

James could feel her naked body still pressed very close to his own, and Lily put her head on his chest again. But then she looked up straight into his hazel eyes.

"I was scared last night."

"Me too," James said running his hand through his hair.

"I couldn't have lived without you."

"Shh," James said kissing her forehead. "Let's not talk about that now."

"We are going to have to talk about it sometime," Lily pointed out.

"True," James nodded. "I have to get ready for work and you…"

"Don't have a class today."

"Really?" James asked as one of his eyebrows raised.

"What?"

James climbed back on top of his beautiful wife and began to kiss up down her neck again.

James arrived at work one minute before he would have been late.

"Took you long enough," Sirius whispered.

Today was their practical day in Auror Training, they wouldn't have any physical training, except for the stuff they had to do everyday.

"Alright mum," James said rolling his eyes at his best friend. True James loved Sirius like a brother, but sometimes Sirius could be bloody annoying as hell.

"So what did you and Lily do once I had left?"

"None of your damned business."

"Alright daddy."

James turned quickly to look at Sirius, "What the hell is that suppose to mean?"

"Watch it," Sirius said in a singing kind of voice. "You'll be come a daddy soon."

"How many girls have you shagged?"

"Um…"

"Exactly and I haven't heard of you becoming a father."

"Excuse me," Sirius said sitting up tall. "I did get Cassidy pregnant."

"Enough," Edgar Bones said walking in and began to go over the practical stuff of Auror training.

"Lily?"

Lily had just gotten out of the shower and she heard someone calling her name from downstairs. Lily ran to the her bedroom door with a towel on and she cracked the door, "Yes?"

"Are you busy?"

Lily smiled, it was Gabriella. "I just got out of the shower, give me a few minutes and I'll be down."

When Lily got downstairs Gabriella was fidgeting with her hands and Lily sat down at the kitchen table, as this was where Gabby had her chair up to.

"What's wrong?" Lily asked.

"Nothing," Gabriella lied.

"Something is the matter because I can never pry you from your office and you are fidgeting."

"Okay, you got me."

"So spill."

"I have been working on this very important project."

"A new potion?"

"Yes," Gabriella nodded. "It is a very dangerous potion and I am almost done with it…and I will be testing the potion out."

"Gabby…"

"Wait Lily, just please let me finish. I want to test it to make sure it works, it will do wonders."

"What does it do?"

"Confidential."

Lily nodded, "Got it. Does Remus even know what it does?"

"No. My boss said I should tell him but I don't want to tell him and then for him to get all bummed out when it doesn't work. Thing is that if it works, then I will present it at a big Ministry Party that is coming up in two weeks. I want you and James to come."

"James hasn't said anything about a Ministry party."

"He doesn't know yet, they will find out today."

"Okay we will go," Lily said smiling at her friend. Gabriella looked both nervous but at the same times very excited about what this potion could hold for the future.

"Okay, well I have got to get back to the office. This was my lunch break."

"I could make you something real quick."

"No thanks," Gabriella said shaking her head. "I'm not hungry anyways, I'm too excited to see if this potion will really work. It would change Remus and my life forever."

"In a good way, correct?"

"Of course."

"Okay, good luck."

"Thanks Lily," Gabriella said smiling as the two friends hugged goodbye.

"Interesting," James during their ten minute break to Alice, Frank, and Sirius.

"I have always wanted to go to a Ministry Party!" Alice said smiling from ear to ear, "Mum and Dad always went when I was little and I was always bummed that I never got to go. Sounds fun, right Frank."

"Yeah," Frank said smiling. "I remember Dad talking about them over and over again with Mum."

Everyone then realized that Sirius had gone very quiet, and then it all hit them. Cassidy. She wasn't here and Sirius wouldn't be able to really enjoy the party without her….


	16. Amelia Bones

****

Chapter 16

"Lily are you home?" James yelled after he had apparated in front of their door to their home and tapped the lock to the door to let himself in. The house seemed empty and this worried James, today Lily wasn't suppose to have any classes.

"Lily!" James yelled as he felt a lump forming in his throat and then James looked down to the floor and saw white rose petals littered all over the floor. There were petals everywhere, and that was when he heard a noise in the kitchen.

James walked into the kitchen as Lily yelled, "I'm in here James!"

"My, my." That arrogant smirk that use to drive Lily insane was smirking at her now and as she turned around she chuckled but rolled those lovely eyes at him.

"Well you are home early."

"Good thing," James said walking behind Lily and wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling close to her as she was trying to tune him out before she burnt their dinner. "Since when you do you cook in that sexy lingerie?"

"Since Sirius isn't here."

"Who said I'm not here you horny little teenagers?" A bark like chuckle filled the room and Lily screamed as she tried to cover herself. James flicked his wand and Lily had her bathrobe over her.

"What are you doing here!" James yelled in outrage, not because he was mad at his friend but he had liked where things were going.

Sirius knew that James was just outraged because he and Lily weren't shagging all over the food, "I live here."

"He's got a point James," Lily chuckled as she pulled her bathrobe as close to her as possible.

"It's okay Prongs," Sirius chuckled. "I like this."

"I don't," James growled.

"I'll be moving out soon."

"What!" Lily and James yelled and they looked stunned.

"Yup," Sirius nodded. "It's time."

"But you can't push this," Lily said walking up to their friend and forgot to how she had felt outraged in Sirius seeing her in her lingerie.

"I'm not pushing anything. I need to move on and you guys need your privacy, obviously."

Both Lily and James blushed at this.

"You guys have been at it like dogs," Sirius laughed manically like his dog animagus form. "Cassidy wouldn't want me sulking like I have been and besides I finally found a flat."

"You're moving out!" Both Lily and James yelled again together.

"I need to."

"No," Lily said shaking her head and turning to James to get some back up. "You don't need to do anything, you need to heal."

"I know," Sirius nodded. "But I can't heal here, I see too many things of her here."

"You can't forget her mate, she was your first love." James spoke this time.

"You are right and I don't ever want to forget her. Cassidy was my first love and I will never love another woman again. But I see too many things that are her here, too many memories. And if I am to try and move on with my life, this isn't helping me at all. I will be okay, and I will be here all the time I swear."

"You better stop by every night for dinner," Lily interrupted. "Merlin knows you can't cook…"

"Merlin knows I wouldn't miss your cooking for anything," Sirius said smiling from ear to ear.

"Good," Lily smiled.

"I move out tomorrow."

"What!" This was now the third time James and Lily had an outburst together.

"Lily starting to say the same things that Prongs is, isn't a really good idea." Sirius pointed out, "There are many times he says really stupid things."

"Stuff it Padfoot."

"You can't move out tomorrow!" Lily said ignoring both men.

"Yes I can," Sirius nodded. "And I am. Also I have a date to the Ministry ball in two weeks."

"You what!" Yup, you've got it they yelled this again together.

"I've got a date to the Ministry Ball, Amelia Bones. Pretty things she is, graduated with us…you must remember her."

"Of course we remember her," Lily hissed. "What about Cassidy?"

"She wouldn't want me to grieve her for the rest of my life, I have to move on."

"I know that," Lily nodded. "I am glad you are moving one, honestly I am. You don't think it's too soon though?"

"I'm not going to shag her on the date," Sirius smirked. "Amelia knows how much Cassidy meant to me and she knows that I recently lost her. Hell Amelia was engaged to a Muggleborn who recently was murdered in a random killing. We are both hurting and neither of had someone to go to the Ministry Ball. I saw her and hadn't seen her since graduation and we began talking. She asked me how Cassidy was doing and I told her and she apologized and then that's when she told me about the bloke she'd been with. Then we both began to talk about how weird it would be to go alone. That's when I suggested we go as friends only."

"Oh," Lily blinked and nodded. "Well I am glad that you will be going and with a friend."

"Me too," Sirius said smiling from ear to ear. "I am going to go upstairs and start packing. I will move all of my things tomorrow after dinner. You know shrink them all to fit in my pockets and then move after dinner. Is that alright?"

"Of course," Lily nodded. "But you really don't have too…"

"I know," Sirius nodded. "I want to. I'll see you guys later," Sirius said getting up to go pack.

"It's going to be weird here without Sirius," Lily said looking up and looking at James.

"Yeah it will be," James nodded. "But in a way it will be nice that it will be just the two of us."

"What do you mean?"

"Like we won't be…er…interrupted like earlier."

Lily blushed at James's comment and he just chuckled at his wife. "I should go and get some clothes on."

"Okay," James nodded and flicked his wand to Lily's favorite pair of jeans and the blouse that James absolutely loved on her.

"That's better."

"No, I prefer you the other way."

"I bet you do," Lily said rolling her eyes at him. "I am going to ask Sirius if he wants to join us for dinner."

"What about it cooking?"

"It's in the oven…"

"The what!"

Lily giggled, "The box right in front of you with the light on."

James ran over to the oven and his eyes got very wide, "Our food cooks in here!"

"What will I do with you?" Lily muttered as she walked out of the kitchen and was making her way through the living room and up the stairs.

Lily knocked on the door and she heard Sirius's response, "Come in."

"Hey."

"Hey Lils, what are you doing up here?"

"Wanted to know if you wanted to join us for dinner since you are home now?"

"Not if you guys are going to keep at what you were doing when you didn't think I was in the room."

Lily blushed at this and tried to cover herself up, then she remember that thank Merlin James had gotten her some different clothes to put on. "No," Lily said shoving Sirius off of his bed with a loud, 'clunk.'

"Gah Lils!" Sirius yelled outraged, "I just might have to come eat dinner with you guys if you keep beating up on me. Do you have enough for four people?"

"Four?"

"Yeah," Sirius nodded. "I was suppose to have dinner with Amelia and I couldn't just abandon her."

"Oh," Lily said and nodded her head. "If Amelia wants to, but if not you guys can go ahead and go out."

"I think Amelia will be fine with it, I'll just apparate to her flat and be back. Thanks Lils."

"Sure," Lily nodded and walked out of the guestroom and back downstairs to find James.

James was still gazing at the oven when Lily came back in the room and she sat herself down in one of the kitchen tables, "Lily what's wrong?"

Lily was staring down at the kitchen table and didn't respond to James's question.

"Lily?" James asked as he kneeled down beside the seat that Lily was occupying, "What's wrong love? Lily?"

"Huh!" Lily said almost jumping out of the chair and she turned to see a very worried James Potter staring up at her.

James took the seat beside Lily and pulled it as close to Lily as possible, "What's wrong love?"

"Set the table for four."

"Four? Love, I know that Sirius eats a lot…"

"No," Lily said shaking her head and now actually looking at James. "Please set the table for four, our good china."

"Since when is Sirius worth your mother's good china?"

"Since he is bringing Amelia to dinner."

"What!" James asked as he was waiting for Lily to yell, 'April Fools'!

"Yeah," Lily nodded. "That was basically my response."

"Do we have enough food for four?"

"Yes."

"Are you okay?"

"I guess," Lily said shrugging. "I mean we couldn't expect him to not go out with girls, we knew that he would move on."

"Yeah but you are thinking why is he moving on so soon."

"No I'm not," Lily said lying through her teeth. "Cassidy died in August we are at almost in November know."

"Lily."

"Fine!" Lily yelled, "My friend has only been dead two months and the man that supposedly loved her more than life itself has already moved on! He is already with another woman!"

"Lily, don't you want Sirius to be happy?"

"**NO**!"

"What!"

"I mean," Lily sobbed. "Not yet. I'm not happy yet so he shouldn't be."

"I thought we were happy?"

Lily crawled into James's lap and rested her head on his chest, "We are. I mean I am still upset about Cassidy's death…"

"I promise you Sirius is too. Sirius wouldn't lie to us, they are only friends."

"How do you know?" Lily asked looking up at her husband.

"Because I can still see the hurt in his eyes anytime anyone mentions her name. I still see him looking at the front door and expecting her to stroll in yelling, 'April Fools!' and start giggling that laugh we all loved. Amelia and Sirius are just friends, besides I remember reading in the paper about a month ago about Amelia's fiancée dying."

"But what happens if thing progress with them?"

"Then we will just have to accept it. I know it's harder for you because…"

"I'll just get over it," Lily said drying her face and at that moment the oven went off.

James screeched like a little girl which got Lily laughing manically, "What in Merlin's name was that!" James asked as he held Lily closer to him.

"You obviously have to be in the kitchen with me more often, that's the oven telling me that dinner is ready."

"Oh," James nodded and took his death grip off of his wife so she could get their dinner out of the oven.

James set the table as Lily walked behind him and put all of the food on the plates. At that moment Lily and James heard two distinctive 'pop's and James turned to Lily, "Are you going to be okay?"

"Yeah," Lily nodded and gave a smirk that James didn't trust.

The dinner didn't end up being a total disaster as James could have sworn it would have been, but James could feel Lily not being too friendly towards Amelia. As Amelia never knew Lily all that much in school bought Lily's act.

"Well I guess I'll see you guys at the Ministry Ball," Amelia said smiling at the Potters. "Thanks for a wonderful evening. Dinner was fabulous Lily."

"Thank you," Lily said politely.

"I better get home, it's getting late."

"I'll follow you home, just to make sure you are alright." Sirius offered.

"It's okay Sirius, really there is no need." Amelia said blushing and shaking her head.

"No really, it's fine." Sirius turned to Lily and James, "I'll be back to finish packing."

The two left and Lily turned to James, "I'm going to bed."

"You don't get off that easy," James said chasing after her to their bedroom. "I happen to sleep in the same room as you!"

"Get away with what?" Lily asked as James closed their bedroom door and she began to undress and get in her night clothes.

"I know you don't like her."

"She's okay."

"You were pleasant."

"I know," Lily said putting on an unconvincing smile. "I am a wonderful hostess."

"You were cold towards her."

"I was not!"

"You hate her because Sirius is with her."

"So what if I am, James!" Lily said throwing herself down in their bed and was trying to go to sleep, she had an early class tomorrow.

"You are lucky that Sirius and Amelia bought that act."

"I honestly don't care James and I refuse us to get in a fight over that hussy."

"Ah ha!" James yelled enthusiastically as he crawled in bed beside Lily, "You agree with me now! You don't like her!"

"No I don't, now shut up." Lily said but not in a mean way, in a way saying, 'I'm sleepy and we need to go to bed.'

James pulled Lily close and she turned over so she could snuggle up to him.

When James was almost asleep he felt Lily shaking, "What's the matter?"

"I'm sorry," her voice was a bit shaky. "Don't leave me."

"What!" James asked totally awake now and he had to slip his glasses back on because Lily was totally blurry without his glasses on. "Why would you say that?"

"After our last fight and…"

"Were we fighting?"

"I didn't think so, but…"

"Okay," James nodded and took his glasses off and kissed her forehead while pulling her close to him again. "I love you and I will never leave you. Now get some sleep, love. We both have to get up early tomorrow. Love you."

"I love you too," Lily Potter fell asleep that night with a big smile on her face.

Two weeks later, Lily Potter was trying to hurry up and finish getting ready for the Ministry Ball. James had told Lily that he wanted to leave the house at ten minutes before six and it was now five minutes before six.

"Lily!" James yelled from upstairs.

"Almost done!" Lily lied as she was fighting with her hair to work with her.

"We need to leave in five minutes!"

"James leave me alone!" Lily yelled, his badgering her really wasn't helping her move any faster.

Lily had on a set of green dress robes that matched her eyes perfectly and made her red hair look magnificent, well the color of her hair. Lily was trying to get her mid-back length of her hair to curl just right.

Lily said the charm to make her hair pop just right, and she kept messing it up. Thank Merlin, Lily was already dressed and makeup on.

Five minutes later, James was yelling at her again.

"Lily!"

"Quit badgering me! I have to look perfect and my hair is being a total arse!"

"Lily it starts in five minutes…"

"I bloody know when it starts!" Lily yelled down the stairs and her frustrated husband threw himself down on their sofa.

Two minutes later, Lily smiled at her reflection, her hair _finally_ did what she wanted it to do. Lily ran down the stairs as James was just about to yell at her again and being surprised to see James right there, she let out a little squeal.

"Finally!" James sighed, but then he looked at Lily again. "Wow."

"It is not amazing that I am done," Lily said harshly.

"No it's not that," James shook his head. "You look beautiful."

Lily blushed at this and smiled at James, "You look handsome."

"Let's go."

"Yes, lets."

The Ministry Ball was small for a Wizarding event, but it was still quite big for Lily. There were suppose to be everyone from the ministry and their date. Lily remembered Gabriella saying that she would be presenting something tonight that would change both Remus and her life and now curiosity began to bug Lily, she needed to find Gabriella.

"Lily?" Lily turned around to see Alice.

"Alice!" Lily smiled as the two friends hugged and smiled at one another.

"It's been so long!"

"I know," Alice nodded. "It's been so hard to come over all the time with Auror training…"

"I know, every night James is totally exhausted."

"Us too. By the way how is your Healer school coming along?"

"Good," Lily smiled.

"I need to tell you and Gabby something," Alice spoke up and for the first time Lily realized that Alice was absolutely glowing.

"Okay," Lily nodded. "I haven't seen Gabby all night and tonight is suppose to be really important for…"

"Gabriella!" Alice yelled and many people, including Gabriella turned around.

"Allie! Lils!" Gabriella Martinez ran across the room and hugged her two best friends. "I have been looking all over the place for you guys!"

"Where's Remus?" Lily asked.

"He went looking for Frank and the rest of the Marauders."

"Good," Alice said with a big grin across her face. "I need to talk to the two of you, _alone_."

Lily and Gabriella nodded to Alice's comment and they followed Alice to the ladies room. Once they got in the ladies room Alice looked under all of the stalls to make sure no one else was in the room.

"Lock the door," Alice said as she looked under the last stall.

"What?" Gabriella asked.

"Lock the door," Alice repeated.

Lily pointed her wand to the door and turned to Alice, "Okay spill."

"Okay," Alice nodded and took Gabriella's hand in her right hand and Lily's hand in her left hand. Alice closed her eyes and took a deep breath. When Alice opened up her big blue eyes and looked into her two best friends straight in the eyes, "I'm a month pregnant!"

"What!" Lily and Gabriella yelled.

"I'm pregnant!"

"What!" James, Sirius, Peter, and Remus all yelled at the same time.

Frank was smiling from ear to ear, totally proud. "Alice is pregnant," he repeated.

"Congrats!" James said smiling at his friend and patting him on the back.

"I'm happy for you!" Remus said smiling.

"Well done!" Sirius laughed in a bark like laugh and started raising his eyebrows in a suggestive way.

"Er…a good way to get it on?" Peter chuckled until everyone looked at him oddly, "What?"

"You are disgusting Wormtail," Sirius said rolling his eyes.

"I'm so happy for you!" Gabriella said engulfing her best friend in a tight hug.

"Me too!" Lily said joining her two best friends in a hug, "I so happy for you and Frank! Your going to be a mummy!"

There was someone one beating on the bathroom door that reminded the girls that they had locked everyone out of it. Lily waved her wand and the bathroom door was unlocked and the woman that walked in was none other than Amelia Bones.

"Hello Amelia," Alice said as her friends broke apart.

"Should I come back later?"

"No it's okay," Alice said shaking her head. "We were just leaving."

The girls began to leave and Amelia spoke up, "Nice to see you again Lily."

"You too," Lily nodded as the girls walked out to leave Amelia in the loo alone.

"What was that about?" Gabriella asked as the girls were back at the party.

Lily sighed, "Amelia came by the house the other night and had dinner with James, Sirius, and I."

"Why?" Alice asked as her total blondeness totally kicked in. Then again it looked as if Gabriella was clueless too.

"Amelia is Sirius's date tonight."

"What!" Gabriella and Alice yelled at the same time, attracting attention around them.

"That was my response."


	17. The Ministry Ball

****

Chapter 17

"So Gabby," Lily went on. "When are you suppose to present what you have been working on."

"Soon," Gabby said smiling from ear to ear. "Very soon."

"Can't you at least give us a hint at what you will be presenting?" Alice whined.

"Nope, sorry. You will just have to stay in suspense. Can you see the guys?" Gabriella asked from her chair, "All I see is other people's bottoms."

"Yeah I see them," Lily smiled. "Do you want me to push you over there?"

"Nope, I got it. Just walk in front of me so I know where to go."

"I will follow," Alice said putting her two knuts in.

"There you are," James said purring at his wife. "I was wondering where you had snuck off to."

"Alice had to tell us some exciting news."

"Frank told us too," Peter said as he looked somewhat pale.

"Where is your date Pete?" Sirius asked.

"I don't know."

"She ran off," Sirius barked.

"Yeah and so did yours.

"No, I am right here." Amelia said slinking through and Sirius put his arm around her waste. Lily, Gabriella, and Alice all had the same thought, '_Slut_.'

Of course they never had any proof that Amelia was truly a slut, they had never heard anything of the sort about her in Hogwarts. It just felt to soon for Sirius to move on, for all of the girls, after all they had all been best friends.

"Martinez," everyone turned around to see Gabriella's boss.

"Yes?"

"I need to see you for a moment."

"Now?" Gabriella asked as if she couldn't believe this.

"Yes it is about one of the…er…products we are to introduce tonight."

"Right," Gabriella nodded and apologized to her friends that she had to leave momentarily.

"Amelia, do you want to dance?" Sirius asked out of nowhere and everyone turned to him, completely not expecting this.

"Of course," Amelia said smiling and showing off her gorgeous pearly whites.

Sirius and Amelia walked off and it was Alice that spoke, "What was that all about?" Well Alice really didn't speak, hissed would be the appropriate wording.

"What?" Peter asked completely clueless.

"Lily, let's dance." James said dragging his wife off to the dance floor.

"What!" Gabriella hissed at her boss, "That is absurd!"

"I know," he nodded.

"That is totally not fair! I invented both of them! I should be able to introduce both of them! We both know that he really didn't help me out at all with the Wolfsbane Potion!" Gabriella yelled outside.

"I know, I know."

"Then why can't I say that I made it! I did, he was never there!"

"I am so sorry Gabriella, but you know his father is our director head, there was nothing I could do."

Gabriella had tears falling down her face, "I put so much work into it! I did it all for Remus! Damn this isn't fair, not at all!"

"I know I am sorry."

Gabriella wiped her tears away and shook herself, "Do I at least get to introduce my other invention?"

"Yes."

"When?"

"When _he_ gets off the podium."

"When is that?"

"He should be talking about it now."

"What!"

Meanwhile, the music cut as soon as Lily and James were about to get on the floor. One of the potions was being presented, the Wolfsbane Potion.

"So why aren't we in there?"

"Well, he was afraid that you would blurt out that you are indeed the creator of it and would embarrass him."

"You are damn right I would!"

"Director head ordered me to keep you occupied out here until it was your time."

"Bastard."

"I know, again I am truly sorry."

"No," Gabriella shook her head. "I know you tried, stupid spoiled brat."

Wolfsbane Potion, it seemed unreal. Remus blinked his eyes, he would just become a wolf, a harmless wolf. It sounded too real, but _he_ didn't seem like the type of person that would invent it. Remus had heard Gabriella complain about how lazy he was and never helped her out with her top secret project, and then it hit Remus like a bludger to the head.

Gabriella did this, this was Gabriella's project. This is why she was working long hours…she had done it for him. For Remus.

Gabriella and her boss heard clapping and her boss spoke up, "Guess that is our cue."

"Yeah, can you give me a push?"

"Sure," and Gabriella was being pushed up back inside where she could present her other miracle. "Did you take the potion?"

"Yeah," Gabriella smiled. "An hour ago."

"You sure this will work?"

"As sure as my love for Remus."

When Gabriella was pushed in her wheelchair beside the podium, she pointed her wand to the throat and muttered, "Sonorus."

"Hello everyone, and thank you. Now that you have heard about the wonderful new amazing Wolfsbane potion, I now have another amazing potion to show you. I have already taken this potion and explaining it wouldn't do it justice, so I will just show you." Gabriella looked back at her boss and he nodded. So Gabriella turned back around and gave the crowd a huge smile as she bent down and pulled herself up from her wheelchair and walked across the room, a bit wobbly, to her boyfriend Remus Lupin.

"Gabby!" Alice and Lily screamed as they watched their friend in awe walk all the way across the room to Gabriella.

Remus had lost all of the color in his face and almost fainted, "Gab…Gabby what? Is this for real?"

"Yes," Gabriella smiled and kissed him.

Everyone began to clap and all sounded so happy for her, but then the lights went out and flickered back on momentarily. When the lights came back on there was something different about the room and Lily felt James pull her close. Then Lily noticed what was different…

Death Eaters.

Lily felt her stomach fall completely out of her body, Death Eaters everywhere.

Total chaos was everywhere and people screaming, and people trying to get out of the corridor that the ball was being held in. Lily knew Death Eaters too well with her and James's influence in The Order of the Phoenix. True, they hadn't been on _too_ dangerous missions but Lily and James had seen their good amount of Death Eaters, in and out of school. Lily knew the Death Eaters too well and she knew that the would have locked all of the doors.

"Lily, we have got to get you out of here!" James said ducking a piece of the falling ceiling.

"Me! Why me! I can fight, Alice is the one that is pregnant! If anyone should be worried…"

"Don't you handicap me because of my pregnancy Potter," Alice yelled back at Lily.

The rest of the friends didn't have time to argue as Death Eaters began to attack. All James knew was that he had to keep his eye on Lily. James had lost so many people in his life and there was no way in bloody hell could James live without Lily.

The lights went out again and people screamed even louder. James cursed, the people shouldn't have screamed that was only feeding the Death Eater's ego.

The lights went out and Lily didn't scream because she knew that was what the Death Eaters wanted, but Lily was truly scared. Lily couldn't see anything and she was afraid she would end up hitting someone with a curse.

The lights flickered and Lily's brilliant green eyes bulged, where was James! In fact, where were all her friends!

Remus was throwing curses left and right. Some night this had turned out to be! That stupid bloke took credit for the obvious creation that Gabriella had invented. Gabriella made some other miracle potion to get her to walk and as soon as Remus thought he could smile…well Death Eaters attack.

Remus could still see Gabriella and she was fighting, but Gabriella wasn't use to using her legs and Remus was really worried about her.

Alice was throwing Death Eaters off with ease and Alice smiled to herself, Auror training had done her well. Yes Alice would have to put her Auror job on hold in a few months because of her unborn baby growing inside of her. Alice could hear Frank, James, and Sirius too. They were obviously doing well too. Alice couldn't hear anything from Lily, Remus, Gabriella, and Peter. Alice of course was worried about her friends and didn't think she could truly lose another best friend, not so soon.

Frank was throwing the Death Eaters off with ease and Frank smiled as he knew that he would make his father proud right now. Frank had to do well and make sure to take all of these damned Aurors down. Frank had all of his to take care of. Frank's wife, unborn child, mother, uncle, and aunt. That was all the family Frank had left and he had to do his best to make sure that they would all be alright.

Sirius was fighting a Death Eater he had been fighting for a good ten minutes and Sirius was surprised that this Death Eater was taking so long. Most of the Death Eaters had graduated with Sirius and his friends or were Seventh Years at Hogwarts this year. So most of them were not that well at dueling yet, of course Sirius was doing well as he had been attending his school to be an Auror for almost two months now.

Then add Sirius was at the top of his class. Frank was the best by far, then James, then Alice, and then most likely Sirius. So Sirius wasn't really worried about his follow Aurors, but it was his friends that weren't Aurors that Sirius was worried about.

Lily was going to school to be a Healer and of course Lily had always been an awesome dueler, but Lily was part of the Order. Of course Sirius was still worried about Lily. Lily had really been there for him after Cassidy had died, and Lily was like a sister to him.

Gabriella hadn't really ever been a very good dueler and she had been in a wheelchair with no use of her legs for almost ten months now. Sirius knew that Remus was really worried about Gabriella, hell the whole group was worried about her.

Remus had always been the best in their graduating class in Defense Against the Dark Arts, but then again they hadn't been in school in five months. Remus had only been helping his great aunt out with her house, there was lots of worry for Remus, his brother like figure.

Then there was Peter, and Peter had always been horrible in dueling and horrible with anything of the sort. It would not surprise Sirius if they would have to put Peter's dead corpse in the ground in a few days.

Gabriella was doing as good as expected, but Gabriella had never been the best dueler and the fact that Gabriella was very wobbly on the two legs she was standing on, well it didn't really help her out any.

Gabriella was scared for all of her friends, but mostly Remus.

It was then that Gabriella felt her body lift off of the ground and she then felt the most horrible pain she had ever felt in her life. Gabriella screamed as the Death Eater was chuckling at the horror they were putting this poor girl in.

The curse came off and the mask slipped off and Gabriella gasped as she saw the Death Eater who had been torturing her.

"You!" Gabriella asked as total fear was filled in her face and tears rolled down her beautiful face.

"_Avada Kedavra!_"

Gabriella screamed as she heard the rushing wind coming towards her and a bright green light around her. Gabriella Martinez was dead before she ever hit the ground.

'That damned Spaniard had recognized me as the Death Eater I had become. I had to kill her.' Peter Pettigrew said inside of his head.

Peter Pettigrew fixed his mask before any of his other 'friends' could recognize him.

Now not only had Peter Pettigrew killed Cassidy O'Brian-Black, but also Gabriella Martinez. All Peter had to do left was kill off that Mudblood and nosy Alice Longbottom. After Longbottom was murdered, her husband would leave and the Marauder's would be what they were before. Before that damned Mudblood and her mettlesome friends came around.

Bellatrix was right, she was always right. Bellatrix had been busy and hadn't come around and saw Peter in a while, well that was until two nights ago. Then tonight before the Ministry Ball, the Dark Lord had called all of his Death Eaters in to plan the attack for tonight.

Amelia Bones was fighting off Death Eaters very well, and she knew as she was fighting that she might as well just give up. None of Sirius's friends liked her and she really had no reason to live. Lily, Gabriella, and Alice had showed how angry they were with her earlier. Amelia did understand Lily's anger towards her. Amelia had dated James last year to try and help James make Lily jealous and it ended up working. Problem was that Amelia had began to fall in love with James. Of course she was over that silly crush now, but losing Chris had been so hard.

Now to Lily, it looked as if Amelia was taking Cassidy's place in Sirius's heart.

Then a flash of red caught Amelia's eyes and to Amelia's right she saw Lily Potter, herself. Lily looked weak and as if she couldn't fight much longer.

Amelia's eyes flashed about ten feet to her left and there was James, fighting like a solider but there was what looked like a terror in his eyes. James had no idea where Lily was at and he was completely terrified.

"_Stupefy_!" Amelia yelled at the Death Eater in front of her, and she was going to risk her life to get on Lily's good side after what had happened last year.

James was going insane about because he had been battling these Death Eaters for a while now and Lily was no where to be seen. James had seen the majority of his friends earlier, but now James was all on his own. James would be fine if he at least knew that Lily was okay…

"_Stupefy_!" James turned behind him and saw Amelia Bones running towards him as she had stunned the Death Eater he had been fighting.

"Amelia?"

"I saw Lily."

"Lily!" James grabbed Amelia by her wrist and they ducked behind a thrown over table. "Where! Where is my wife?"

"That way," Amelia pointed. "She was fighting a Death Eater and was doing pretty well, but she is obviously tired. I knew you would be worried."

"Thank you," James said hugging Amelia before he left off for his wife.

"Amelia!" Came a voice from behind her and she turned to see the one person she was hoping to see.

"Edgar!" Amelia said smiling at her older brother.

"You need to get to safety."

"I have got her," was another male voice.

"Black?" Edgar Bones asked.

"He was my date here."

Edgar nodded, "There is an secret exit that the Death Eaters did not know of. Black, we discussed of it the other day in class."

"Yes sir," Sirius nodded.

"Get her out of here and safe."

"Of course."

"_Stupefy_!" A male voice that Lily recognized and she felt her heart flutter. The Death Eater she had been fighting for almost thirty minutes was down now.

"James!" Lily said smiling as she saw her prince charming running towards her. "Don't embrace me yet, we have got to get out of here."

"All the exits are suppose to be closed off."

James saw terror in Lily's eyes, "We are really going to die tonight aren't we?"

"No," James said shaking his head. "There might be an exit…I remember hearing about it in one of our lessons from Edgar Bones."

"We have got to at least try it."

"Of course, but get your wand out. We have got to get out of here alive Lily."

"I love you."

"I love you too."

"Frank, where are we going?" Alice asked as she ran behind her husband as he had a hold of her wrist and wouldn't let go.

"Don't you remember what Bones told us the other day in class?"

"What!"

"About that no matter what, all ministry buildings have a secret passage way out by the lavatories."

"You are a bloody genius!"

There were curses being thrown left and right now, and Frank threw himself and Alice into a spare room.

They weren't alone in this room either.

"Lily?" Alice asked as tears were falling down her face.

"Alice!" Lily said running towards Alice.

"Girls we have got to get out of here," James insisted.

"James is right," Frank said trying to get the wives apart and to get the hell out of here.

There was a click and a voice from behind all of them, "There will be only one of us leaving this room alive."

The four eighteen year olds turned around to see none other than Lord Voldemort himself.

"Sirius!" Amelia exclaimed as the both of them had escaped from the ballroom that they had been in.

"Not now Amelia."

"What?"

"We need to get out of here."

"Why?"

"More Death Eaters and I know it. Apparate to my flat."

"What about your friends?"

"They will all know to meet up at Lily and James's house."

"Then why are we going to your flat?"

"I need to change, then we will apparate to your flat so you can change and then to Lily and James's house. Hopefully by the way when we get there, the others will be there."

"What if they aren't Sirius?"

"Then we will wait."

Remus hadn't seen any of his friends since after Gabriella had walked towards him and now he was really afraid. Not only for Gabriella but also for all of his friends.

Remus tripped over a dead body and fell to the floor. Falling to the floor Remus was able to duck the killing curse. Remus thanked the poor body he had tripped upon and when Remus turned to see who it was, he screamed.

His lovely Gabriella.

"No, no!" Remus dragged himself and Gabriella behind a table that had been turned over, "Gabriella. Gabriella, wake up." Remus had tears streaming down his face and falling down onto Gabriella's beautiful tan skin. "Love come back to me! Don't leave me here in this horrible world alone. Gabriella, _please_! I know you made the Wolfsbane potion and you can walk now with that miracle potion you made! You did both of these for the two of us! Come back to me, love come back to me!"

Remus cried as he held her body close to him for what seemed forever, but it was then he heard a crash not to far from him. Remus knew he couldn't leave her body here. Remus threw Gabriella's body over his shoulder and was following some people out of the building.

He would apparate to St. Mungo's.

"So lovely to meet the newlywed couple," Voldemort cackled and James stepped in front of Lily as Frank did the same. "Oh, do we have two ickle newlywed couples? The two couples in which I have come into contact twice and have slipped through my clutches will die tonight."

"Obviously you are not as powerful as you believe because four eighteen year olds who have no extraordinary powers can survive your attacks twice." James yelled.

Voldemort cackled, "As stubborn and stupid as your father."

"You are a coward," Frank snarled.

"I will kill you all, as I have killed off so many of your families."

"You are a horrible man!" Lily screamed.

"I am anything but a pitiful man, _Mudblood._"

"We will succeed and defeat you again tonight," Alice was the one to speak this time.

"Let's have the games begin," Voldemort cackled as he waved his wand and both Potters and both Longbottoms were thrown up in the air and thrown into the wall behind them as Lord Voldemort cackled at how weak this teenagers really were.


	18. Fighting The Storm

****

Chapter 18

All three of the four teenagers groaned with pain, but Alice shrieked as she did have little Longbottom growing inside of her.

"Some Auror," Voldemort cackled. "Mudblood Evans would obviously be better than you."

"It is _Potter_," Lily snarled. "I am not a Mudblood I am a fully qualified witch."

"Shut up," Voldemort said lazily waving his wand and sending Lily in the air spinning over and over again with her feet going over her head. Unfortunately showing her knickers. "You were born as a Mudblood and you shall die tonight as a filthy Mudblood." Voldemort then looked up towards Lily and cackled, then turning towards James, Voldemort spoke again. "Nice knickers, eh? Nice pick Potter…for a Mudblood that is."

"You bastard!" James screamed and then began throwing every curse and hex that he had learned so far to date in his Auror training classes. Frank nodded and began to follow in James's footsteps. Alice was still crumbled to the ground holding on the her stomach and praying that her unborn child would be alright. Lily was still rolling around in the air, she was starting to get very nauseous, all this was making her very dizzy.

Voldemort stumbled back from James and Frank's attacks and then Lily began. James looked up and horror struck his face. As Voldemort had stumbled back and lost concentration on spinning Lily, and now Lily was falling towards the ground. He could only see and hear terror from his beautiful wife.

James mumbled a incantation that he had heard his former Headmaster mumble a few times when Quidditch players were falling from very high heights. Lily wasn't falling as fast, and this is when Alice jumped up on cue and began to help her husband fight off the worst Dark Wizard in a century.

* * *

Being a Death Eater wasn't as exciting as I had imagined it would be, but then again I never really did have a choice in becoming one. My acquaintances in my house at Hogwarts had all joined and in a way I had been pushed by peer pressure to join also. Of course my father wasn't happy, but when was my father ever happy for me. Mother loved it, hell mother was just glad I was doing something in my life. I honestly don't think she even knew what kind of an oath I was making when I made this.

Now of course that she has read the goings on in the Prophet, she keeps trying to convince me to leave this horrid life style. That is something mother knows not. You can not just decide when you want to leave the Dark Lord's side. Leaving his side you get the ultimate punishment, death. Death honestly does not sound that appealing to me.

I love learning all the dark arts, but we honestly do not really use much of the advanced dark arts in which I really love. The Dark Lord is only wanting to kill and loves doing muggle baiting. I have never liked muggles or Muggleborns, so why would I want to do that?

Then again you can never object with the Dark Lord's requests. You are hear to serve him as he is your King, one thing to cross him and you are dead.

I thought I had gotten over her, until tonight. I saw that beauty tonight and my stomach did it's usual flip-flop at seeing her. Even more gorgeous than I could have ever remembered her. I have never seen her so happy in her entire life, it made me happy too. Then again I felt the familiar stab to the chest as I realized she is happy with him and not me.

* * *

Alice and Frank were holding Voldemort off as best as they could and this gave James the chance to slow Lily's fall down and catch her in his arms. She would have to kiss him, hug his neck, and thank him later.

Frank just barely missed a curse as it flew above his head and Alice looked pretty beaten up herself.

Silently James and Lily made a secret agreement, they were going to have to get through this fight against Voldemort with their close friends. They had to live, they couldn't die here tonight.

Alice and Frank were expecting a baby and they sounded so happy about it. The thought of a baby had actually brought a smile to Lily's face too, it would be nice to have something to look forward to…some happiness in all of this tragedy. Alice was getting her happiness in her husband and her unborn child. A baby…that just sounded wonderful. Lily wasn't sure if James and herself were ready to have a baby yet, but Lily defiantly knew that she did want to carry James Potter's children.

Frank was only worried about Alice, it didn't matter if he died tonight, but Alice was carrying their unborn child. If anything happened to Alice and the baby…well he would kill himself.

Alice was so worried about Frank and the baby. They had to come out of this battle alive, they just had to. Alice could not think about raising this baby alone on her own. Oh Merlin, if Frank died, then his mother would want to raise baby Longbottom with Alice. No Frank had to live because if she had to raise this child alone with his mother, Alice was sure she would either kill herself or her mother in law.

James was fighting his best, in fact the best he had ever fought in his entire life. James felt his arrogance and ego growing, but then the thought of Lily made his ego deflate. James had to make sure that himself and Lily got out of this alive. A life without Lily Potter, well was not really a life at all…

In other words both couples needed to get out of this battle, alive.

* * *

"Sirius," Amelia spoke up. "You have got to stop."

"Stop what?" He asked stopping from the walking he had been doing.

Amelia got off of Lily and James Potter's loveseat in their living room and put her hand upon his forearm, "If you keep pacing like that then you will burn a whole through their hardwood floor. I do not know Lily Potter that well, but I have heard about her temper. All you really need to do is ruin her perfect home with James and she will behead you."

Sirius chuckled for the first time that night since the Death Eaters had shown up, "You are right." Sirius walked over to the loveseat in which Amelia had been sitting upon and sighed, "I am just worried."

She nodded, "I can tell."

"They are the only family I have left," Sirius said throwing his face into his hands.

"I know Lily and James mean the world to you…"

"Not just them," Sirius said sitting up. "Remus, Gabriella, Alice, Frank, and Peter. I am not related to any Blacks, I have cut all of those bastards off. My friends are my true family and if anything happens to any of them…I will just die."

"I know how you feel."

"Do you really?"

Amelia blinked at him and instantly Sirius felt truly sorry for saying that. Amelia wasn't only blinking at him because he had startled her but she was also blinking back tears. "I too have friends in the ministry, friends I am really worried about. I have family that works for the ministry, hell you are taking classes from my brother."

"Sorry."

Amelia shook her head, "No." She then turned to him, "We have to be strong."

"How?"

"We have to fight the storm."

* * *

"Please, _please_ help her."

"Sir please read the sign," the receptionist yawned.

"Ma'am this is important…"

The receptionist looked up and didn't look surprised to see a young Remus Lupin holding the lifeless body of Gabriella Martinez in his arms. "Attack at the ministry ball?" She asked without any expression for Remus.

"You would think wouldn't you!" Remus yelled sarcastically.

"Emergency corridor door to your left and all the way down. Have a pleasant day."

"Sod off," Remus growled as he ran down the hallway with his girlfriend in his arms. "Please don't be dead, please don't be dead." Remus repeated over and over again, and praying that Gabriella had only drank a draft of the living dead.

* * *

Now that James and Frank had help from their wives in fighting Voldemort, the two couples were really getting some lead way. Of course the four of them were getting tired, but getting attacks from four people at once was really wearing Voldemort out a lot faster than he was wearing all of them out.

True Lily, James, Alice, and Frank could not apparate out. There was a good part to this though, because none of Voldemort's followers could apparate in. No one could leave until Voldemort took the spell off.

James was throwing curses and hexes at Voldemort and getting about a fourth back from the dark wizard.

Lily was hoping this would end soon, but end in a good way. She was getting quite tired but she had to keep fighting. Fighting for her life, James's life, and their life together.

Frank was keeping up as good as James was, but Frank could tell as James had that the girls were getting very tired and this really needed to end well and soon.

Alice was usually an extraordinary dueler and she was still doing very well, but she was really getting exhausted and she was afraid of the stress she was putting on her baby.

Then out of now where Voldemort flicked his wand and there was smoke everywhere. Once the smoke had cleared, Voldemort was no where to be seen.

"Where did he go?" Alice asked leaning against her husband.

"Who cares?" James asked honestly, "Let's just get the hell out of here before he gets back with all of his Death Eaters to finish us off."

"I am with James," Lily agreed.

"Where should we go?" Alice asked as it was apparent she was ready to get the hell out of here too.

"Our house," James spoke up. "I am pretty sure if Sirius, Remus, Peter, and Gabriella have gotten out then that is where they have gone."

They all nodded and got the hell out of there before Voldemort and his horrible Death Eaters came back to finish the couples off.

* * *

I looked over and there was the psychotic Bellatrix Black…no Lestrange. She looked as if she was thriving in this chaos and horrible terror.

Sure he loved working with the dark arts, but killing had never been a thing of this.

He heard his name and turned, "Didn't you feel that?"

"What?"

"Our marks are burning again?"

"Sorry."

Bellatrix looked at him oddly, "What is wrong with you?"

"I was too into all the killings, didn't kill as many people as I had wanted too." He lied.

"Yeah, I know what you mean." Bellatrix sulked, "Any ways he is calling us. We have got to get out of here, now."

"Alright," he nodded. Bellatrix apparated away, and he looked for the beauty he had always been in love with. She was no where to be seen and this really broke his heart, he really hoped she was okay.

Peter had no idea where his 'friends' had gone to or where Bellatrix had gone. Peter was not really worried about the Marauder's significant others. Honestly Peter was so angry with his friends for picking those whores over their friendship. So Peter was really only worried about Bellatrix, as long as she wasn't hurt everything would be alright.

* * *

There were some pops, and both Amelia and Sirius jumped and took their wands out.

"Cool down, it is only us." James said throwing himself in his favorite armchair as Lily curled up in his lap and buried her head into his shoulder. James threw his arms around Lily protectively. Alice and Frank cuddled up on James and Lily's empty couch, as Amelia and Sirius were on the loveseat.

"Are you guys okay?" Amelia asked as she was the first to speak in twenty minutes, they had all been staring into the fire that Sirius had started almost an hour ago before the others had shown up.

"I have never been so scared in my life," Lily spoke up surprising everyone, including herself.

"Me neither," Alice agreed. "I mean of course Frank and I have come in contact with Voldemort two other times."

"You have?" James asked and looked down at Lily and she looked as stunned as her husband was.

"What is wrong?" Frank asked.

"It is just funny," Lily said sitting up and taking her face out of the crook of James's neck.

"What is?" Sirius asked wondered what was going on.

"Well, Lily and I have too come in contact with Voldemort two other times, no including tonight."

"That is so weird," Amelia said looking at the two couples in awe. "That the four of you have come in contact with Voldemort three times and you are still alive to speak about it."

"Yeah," the four of them nodded in a way that gave them all goose bumps.

"Where do you think Remus, Gabriella, and Peter are?" Sirius asked.

"I don't want to think about it," Lily said a bit scared.

"Me neither," Alice agreed.

"Lily?"

Lily looked up to see that it was Amelia who was talking, "Yes?"

"Would you like me to make some tea?"

Lily smiled, "That is really nice of you."

"Could you show me where your tea kettle, cups, and saucers are?"

"Yeah," Lily nodded crawling out of James's lap.

"I will come too," Alice said getting up.

The ladies left and were now in the kitchen.

"That was odd," Sirius said speaking up and looking from James to Frank.

"You can say that again," James nodded.

"That was odd," Sirius repeated.

James rolled his eyes and Frank chuckled, "You are right Sirius."

"I honestly did not think any of the girls would open up to Amelia," Sirius said propping his feet up on the coffee table.

"Especially Lily," James nodded.

"Yeah as you use to date Amelia to make Lily jealous," Sirius snickered.

"Then she fell in love with you, don't forget that." Frank threw in his two knuts in which he began to laugh.

"Ug," James sighed. "Don't remind me."

"I think Amelia is a nice girl," Sirius frowned.

"You fancy her!" James yelled as his eyes began to bug out.

"No I don't!"

"Yes you do!"

"No I don't!"

"Yes you do!" Frank said nodding.

"Shut up," Sirius growled. "I still love Cassidy."

"You will always love her," James spoke up. "That does not mean you can not move on, and besides I believe that Cassidy would want you to move on."

* * *

"Have any of you guys seen or heard from Gabriella or Remus?" Amelia asked standing beside the stove as the three girls were waiting on the tea.

"No," Alice and Lily said at the same time.

"Oh."

"You seem somewhat upset?" Alice asked as she placed her hand over her stomach.

"I am worried," Amelia nodded to Alice's question.

"Why?"

"I know they are really good friends of Sirius's, as are you guys, and he seems really worried."

"You seem really worried about him," Lily spoke up.

"Of course, we are friends."

Lily shook her head, "There is more than that."

"He loves Cassidy and I love Chris very much."

"Yes and you always will," Lily nodded. "The two of you need to eventually move on, whether it is with one another or not."

"I thought you would be the main person against Sirius and I at the ball," Amelia said truthfully.

"I was in the beginning," Lily nodded.

"Me too," Alice threw in her comment in which Amelia nodded to the both of them.

"I realized I was being really immature."

"Me too, and if Sirius fancies you and you fancy him then none of us should stand in the way of you guys."

Amelia blushed as she poured the three of them some tea, "Sirius and I are only friends, promise. I honestly do not see us going anywhere further than that, but if we decide to later on I am glad that you two will not beat me to a pulp."

"No problem," Lily nodded and thanked Amelia for the tea before she turned on Alice. "You need to go to St. Mungo's?"

Alice spit tea all over the kitchen table getting a giggle from Amelia and a disgusted look from Lily, "Why in Merlin's name would I go to that horrid place!"

"Your baby!"

"Baby?" Amelia asked looking confused, but then reminded herself that these girls didn't honestly like her and they were only being nice to her. In other words whatever baby Alice had was none of her business.

"Oh," Alice blushed. "Sorry…yeah, well only the Marauders, Frank, Lily, Gabriella, and I know."

"It is okay, I don't expect you to tell me…."

"No it is okay," Alice said waving it off. As much as the girls had hated Amelia a few hours ago, a near death attack with Death Eaters and Lord Voldemort himself put all that childish stuff behind them. "Frank and I found out the other day that I am expecting a baby! I am due sometime in mid July, don't know a sure date yet."

"Congrats!" Amelia said smiling from ear to ear, "I am so happy for you! When you find out what you are having let me know and I will get Sirius to give you a gift from me."

"Why?"

"Or not," Amelia said turning away.

"No she didn't mean it like that," Lily spoke up.

"Lily is right, I meant why don't you come to the baby shower? I am sure Lily and Gabby will host it for me…"

"You can help us, that is if you want?" Lily spoke up.

"If you guys don't mind…"

"We need to all stick together, especially in these dark times."

Both Amelia and Alice nodded to this.

"Anyways," Lily said turning back to Alice. "You are avoiding my suggestion."

"I have no idea what you are talking about," Alice said sticking her nose up in the air and being the usual stubborn arse she always was.

"Going to St. Mungo's!" Lily growled between her teeth.

"Hey that is Sirius job," Alice reminded her close friend.

"Huh?" Amelia was totally confused.

Lily and Alice were not sure if Amelia knew Sirius's secret, so Lily just went on. "I am worried about your baby."

"Stuff it Potter!"

"Frank!" Lily screamed.

"Fine!" Alice yelled starting to get huffy, "I will go to St. Mungo's. You have to come with me."

"Okay," Lily nodded. Both girls got up and turned around to see Amelia still sitting down at the table looking down at her now torn dress robes.

"Are you coming?" Alice asked.

"Who me?" Amelia frowned.

"Who else?"

"Okay."

* * *

"Mr. Lupin?" A Healer asked walking out of the Emergency Ward.

Remus stood up and looked hopeful at the Healer, "How is she?"

"I am sorry to say that she is in the same condition she was in when you brought her in."

"No."

"I am sorry Mr. Lupin, but Miss Martinez is really gone. I am really sorry for you loss."

"Remus?"

Remus Lupin turned around to see a very confused Lily Potter, Alice Longbottom, and Amelia Bones.

"What is going on?" Lily asked.

"Where is Gabby?" Alice asked too.

"Gabriella is the reason I am here," Remus said as he felt his throat getting dry.

"Where is she?" Alice asked again.

"She…she was m…murdered."

"_No!_" Alice screamed as she was about to fall to the ground and Remus caught her, knowing from earlier that Alice was with child. "No! No! No!" Lily ran over to Remus and hugged both of her friends. Amelia felt really out of place and figured the rest of the gang would want to know. So Amelia disapparated from St. Mungo's and was headed back to Lily and James Potter's house.


	19. Pissin' on a Stick

****

Chapter 19

Putting Gabriella in the ground had to be one of the hardest things for Lily to do and defiantly the hardest for Remus. It seemed as if Lily and James dragged funerals their way. Lily was honestly getting sick and tired of everyone around her dying and having to wear the same black dress over and over again.

Alice and Lily cried throughout the entire ceremony and when they laid Gabriella's body to rest. Remus let silent tears fall down but other than that he was as stiff as a board and would not talk to a soul. James, Sirius, and Frank felt horrible for losing another close friend. Amelia felt really out of place as she had barely known Gabriella and Amelia knew Gabriella, Alice, and Lily all hated her. Peter, well that dirty rat sat there on the outside looking mournful, but inside he was laughing and feeling very good about himself.

Life eventually moved on and although it was hard to go on with life and know that both Cassidy and Gabriella would never come in and brighten the room up, the friends moved on. All except one.

Remus Lupin disappeared two days after Gabriella's funeral.

Everyone had their own thoughts as to why he just left out of nowhere. Remus did not let any of his friends know, did not contact them afterwards, or leave them a forwarding address.

Alice figured that Remus was so grieve stricken that he had to get away from all of them and their happy lives, and Sirius agreed with Alice's suggestion. In fact most of the friends agreed with this too, and that was what everyone just began to say.

To the friends, it felt as if they had lost another friend. Now not only was Cassidy and Gabriella gone, but Remus had left too. Of course Cassidy and Gabriella had been murdered and Remus just up and left.

At the end of November, Alice and Frank decided to have a party at their house. It was not a big and fancy party like they had attended for the Ministry Ball, but just a small enough party for all of their closest friends to come and enjoy each others company.

Lily, James, Sirius, Peter, and Amelia were all of course invited. Alice had asked Lily's opinion on inviting Amelia. These days you really did not know who you could and could not trust anymore. Lily assured Alice that since Sirius and Amelia were still together then she had to be one of the good guys and not the bad. Nothing past friendship had gone between Sirius and Amelia, which made everyone happy but a discussion started one day between Lily and Alice with all the what ifs?

"Would you be mad at Sirius if him and Amelia ended, you know, hooking up?" Alice asked as she was knitting some little green booties.

"If you would have asked me a month or two ago I would have told you bloody hell yes, but now I think I would be more happy for Sirius to move on then to be miserable for the rest of his life."

"I think I agree to that too," Alice nodded. Then putting her knitting down on her lap, she turned to Lily. "Have you or James heard from Remus?"

"Nope," Lily said sadly.

"Us neither, but do you think Sirius has?"

"If Sirius had heard from Remus we would have heard about it."

Alice nodded, "I guess you are right. It is just so weird without the three of them here with us."

"I know what you mean," Lily nodded.

"Lily?" Alice asked.

"Yes?"

"Would you be my baby's godmother?"

"What!" Lily asked as she felt her face light up.

"Would you be my baby's godmother?"

"Of course!" Lily said hugging her friend tightly, "I would love to! Who is going to be the godfather?"

"I think Frank is going to ask James today at work."

"Oh James would be thrilled to be your baby's godfather!" Lily smiled from ear to ear, "By the way, why aren't you at work today?"

"I have a doctor's appointment about the baby later on today."

On the morning of December tenth, James awoke to a wrenching sound. James blinked and only saw blurriness, then realizing that he did not have his glasses on. Slipping his glasses on and James looked to Lily's side of the bed and she was nowhere to be seen.

"Lily!" James asked scared of where his wife was, he was usually up way before she got up.

The wrenching sound that had awoken James was coming from their bathroom, "Lily?" James asked knocking on the door. There was a grunt and James opened the door and caught Lily's flaming red hair before she vomited all over it too. "Are you okay?"

"Ek," Lily said laying down on the bathroom floor. "I think Amelia gave me that flu that she caught from work."

"The flu that she got from Sirius?"

"Sirius," Lily growled. "It is all his fault that I am sick."

James chuckled at her, "Calm down. Just owl your professor and tell him that you feel really under the weather and you are not going to be able to attend class."

"Okay," Lily nodded but then gave James her death glare. "Tell Sirius he is on my warpath."

Three days later, Alice Longbottom was walking through the apothecary and waved at Lily. Lily turned whiter then Alice had ever seen Lily all her life. That was when Alice looked up to see the aisle that Lily was on.

"Lily!" Alice hissed and ran up her friend. She then looked down in Lily's basket and saw what confirmed her first question. "Are you?"

"I do not know!" Lily whined.

"What is in the bag?"

"Muggle tests."

"James is not home is he?"

"No," Lily said shaking her head. "What are you doing away from work?"

"Took off for another sick day. James is at work, so your house is okay. Let's go do these tests at your house."

"Will you quit that," Alice snapped sitting on Lily's couch, knitting once again.

"Stop what?" Lily snapped back.

"That pacing you are doing."

"I can not help it," Lily whined. "How much longer do we have?"

"A minute and a half from the last time you asked," Alice responded back counting to make sure she did not go over on her little project.

"Another three minutes!" Lily yelled pulling at her flaming hair, "These tests take longer than the muggle ones!"

"Ug," Alice said putting her hand over her mouth again. "Do not remind me or I will throw up all over you."

"What pissing on a stick?"

"Lily!" Alice growled as she was gagging too, "That is not funny."

"How much longer now?"

Alice checked her watch, "Now. So let's go check the cauldron."

Lily and Alice looked over the cauldron and Lily made an unsatisfied noise, "Why is the potion still yellow?"

"Still trying to find the miracle of life."

"Ug," Lily said looking at Alice as if she was gum on her shoe. "Miracle of life?"

"Yeah it sounded better before I spoke it."

"You are starting to sound more and more like Sirius."

"That is a total insult."

"It is changing!" Lily yelled changing the subject, "Blue…blue…what the hell does blue mean!"

"Positive."

"Oh Merlin," Lily said walking back to her sofa and falling down on it.

"Do you want to try another one?"

"After three muggle and four wizarding pregnancy tests, I would put it in your words and say that the tests found the miracle of life."

"Geez, that really does sound pathetic doesn't it?"

"Yeah," Lily half way chuckled. "Too much like Sirius."

"So you are pregnant."

"Yeah," Lily nodded starting at the ceiling above her and putting her hand on top of her abdomen.

"Is that a good thing or a bad?"

"I do not know yet," Lily said turning her head to Alice. Then Lily's face lit up, "I am going to have a baby!"

"I know," Alice nodded.

"I am going to have James's baby!"

"Yes."

"We are going to have our babies together!"

"Oh Merlin, we are!" Alice said beginning to get all excited with Lily as the both began to jump up and down together. "Just promise me one thing?"

"Sure."

"Never talk about the piss on the stick method again."

"Ek," came a voice from behind them. "Who would piss on a stick?"

Lily and Alice turned around to where they both turned ghost white, "I should shove that stick down your throat." Lily growled at her best friend.

"I should be going home now, Frank will be home soon. Goodnight Lily, James."

"Bye Alice," James said waving his hand as Alice Flooed to her home. "Lily?" James asked, "Do you feel any better today?"

"Um…"

"Why is this cauldron doing out?" James asked looking at his wife oddly.

"Sit."

"Why?" James asked starting to get really suspicious.

"I will tell you why I have been ill lately and why I have the cauldron out."

"And why you and Alice are talking about pissing on a stick?"

"I have some news that will change our lives."

"Now I do not know if I want to know this."

"What!" Lily asked baffled.

"If you are pissing on a stick it makes me wonder about your sanity."

"If you do not shut up I will shove that stick down your throat."

"Okay," James nodded.

"James what are you doing at the end of next August?"

"I do not know?" James shrugged, "You know I do not plan anything that far ahead."

"Then you better start planning for next August."

"What for?"

"James," Lily said biting her lip. "I'm pregnant."

James some how feel off of the couch.

"Are you okay?'

"Repeat that."

"Are you okay James?"

"No, the statement before that."

"We should have a baby by late August."

"What baby?" James asked still laying on the floor.

"Our baby!"

"You are pregnant?"

"That is what I have been trying to tell you," Lily said getting off the couch and sitting next to James on the floor.

"When did you find this out?"

"Before you got home."

"With Alice?"

"Yes."

"Why did you tell her before me?"

"I did not mean too," Lily said honestly. "Alice ran into me at the apothecary and saw what was in my basket. You are not mad at me are you?"

"Of course not," James said sitting up and taking Lily in his arms where they sat there quiet for a while.

James broke the silence and pulled back to look at Lily through those eyes of her he loved so much, "We are having a baby?"

Lily bit her lip and nodded.

"Are you positive?"

"I took three muggle and four wizard pregnancy tests."

"And?"

"I am late and I am _never_ late."

"Oh."

"I am as positive as I can be without a confirmation from a Healer from St. Mungo's. I do not care how you feel James Potter, but I am keeping this baby!"

"No, no. I am happy."

"You don't seem like it."

"I am," James nodded. "Just a bit shocked, weren't you?"

"Of course."

"When can we go to the doctor?"

"We?"

"Yes," James nodded again. "I am going with you."

"Tomorrow at two."

"I will take lunch late."

The Healer looked down at his clipboard and then back at the couple sitting in front of him, "Mr. and Mrs. Potter?"

"Yes," the spoke at the same time.

"I have some news for the two of you."

"Yes," the spoke again at the same time.

"Follow me," the Healer opened a door and the couple walked in and the Healer followed. "Sit."

"I would rather stand," James spoke.

"Okay," the Healer nodded. "Mr. and Mrs. Potter, congratulations on the addition to your family."

"Huh?" James asked stupidly.

"You should have a little boy or girl by next August."

"Lily is really pregnant!" James asked as his eyes filled with delight.

"Yes," the Healer said smiling at the young couple. "Lily was right to guess that you should have a little bundle of joy at the end of August. I want you to come back and see me in three weeks Lily. Make an appointment with the receptionist and I will see you in three weeks."

"Thank you," Lily and James said at the same time and were smiling from ear to ear leaving St. Mungo's hospital.

After their weekly Order meeting the friends, Sirius, Peter, Alice, Frank, James, and Lily met at The Three Broomsticks.

Alice was rubbing her belly lovingly as usual while her other hand was on her cup of tea, Frank was caught glancing at Alice every few seconds, Peter was twitching and nervous as usual, Sirius was rolling his eyes at how nervous Peter was being, Lily had a glow to her face that no one could quite put their finger on why she looked so happy, and James just looked so happy that Sirius kept telling him to wipe that goofy grin off of his face.

Madam Rosemerta brought everyone their food and Lily jumped up from the table with her hand over her mouth running to the bathroom.

"What is wrong with Lily?" Amelia asked as she walked over to the table to sit next to Sirius.

"She seems ill," Sirius said starting to stuff his face which made Alice now sick. Alice got up and ran to the bathroom after Lily.

"Alice is still getting morning sickness?" Amelia asked Frank.

"It is not morning," Sirius said stupidly.

"It is just a saying," Amelia laughed at Sirius in which he stuck his tongue out at her. Amelia then turned back to Frank and repeated, "Alice is still getting morning sickness?"

"Yes," Frank said looking exhausted by now.

Lily was walking back to the table and she looked paler than usual, but her glow was still there.

"Alright there Lils?" Sirius asked.

"I will be okay," Lily nodded and sat down next to James.

"Ugh," Alice said walking back to the table and leaned up against Frank. "I feel horrible."

"Me too," Lily groaned laying her head into James's chest.

"Yeah but I have morning sickness."

"Me too."

"What!" Everyone at the table yelled at the table except Lily, James, and Alice.

"So it was confirmed?" Alice asked.

"You knew before me!" Sirius shirked pointing at Alice with awe.

"Don't you point your finger at my Sirius Black!" Alice hissed as pregnant hormones were high and kicking.

"Contain your wife, Frank."

"Sirius!" Amelia said smacking Sirius upside the head.

Alice, Frank, Lily, and James looked at each other in awe.

"What?" Amelia asked wondering what was going on. "I did not really hurt him. I just do that when he is being a total arse."

"T…that was so funny," Lily said blinking and turning to Alice.

"Yeah that was."

"How?" Sirius asked with a total child like pout.

"I have not seen anyone hit Sirius upside his head or actually got him to shut up since…since…"

"Cassidy was still alive," Alice finished Lily's story.

Everyone got quiet and turned to look at Sirius.

"What?" Sirius asked as everyone had gotten quiet and had turned to look at him. "What?" Sirius asked again totally flabbergasted."

"Sorry," Alice apologized. "I did not mean to upset you Sirius or Amelia."

"What are you sorry about?" Sirius asked confused, "What is she sorry about?" Sirius asked Amelia.

"Maybe I should not have hit you upside the head," Amelia asked a bit confused too. "I mean I know that none of you really care for me. Sirius is my only friend and…"

"That is not true," Lily said shaking her head and everyone was really surprised. "I mean at first I did not like you because I felt like you were taking my best friend's place but you are not. You are a very beautiful person, inside and out."

"I am sorry Lily."

"For?"

"Seventh year…you know when I was dating James and I was so mean to you…"

Lily shrugged it off, "That was a long time ago. A very long time ago and I have no hard feelings towards you. You started to like James and I can not blame you."

"I thought I did have feelings for James," Amelia nodded. "I found someone that means lots to me," Amelia turned to look at Sirius and smiled a thousand watt smile.

I sat five tables away from the 'dream team.' The majority of them were total idiots and morons. I could not see how she could put up with all of those losers. The Marauders, makes me still gag to this day, and I honestly do not know how she could put up with them all. I sit here staring at her, but none of them noticed me in my black cape and I was studying, as usual. It was a quiet night, for once, here in The Three Broomsticks. I can actually overhear the dream teams conversation.

As I am sitting here I overhear something, I then feel my whole body shut down. I feel very ill and I think I am going to die. I overhear her talking and that she and her new best friend were both pregnant. I could not believe the love of my life was pregnant. Not only had she married that prick but he had now knocked her up.

However she loved him and I knew now that she would never truly love me. All I know is that if he ever did truly hurt her, I would defiantly be the person that would cause his death.

"I still can not you are pregnant!" Amelia smiled at me, "It seems as if it is the thing to do now."

"Huh?" Alice asked having a blonde moment.

"Getting pregnant," Amelia repeated. "You are pregnant and now Lily is. Maybe I should think about the little pitter patter of feet too."

"What?" Sirius asked chocking on the Cauldron Cake he had been eating.

"Geez, I am just joking around Sirius. Take a chill pill."


	20. Pregnancy Hormones

****

Chapter 20

"Lily?" Came a female voice from the living room.

"In here," Lily yelled between the few times she kept throwing up.

"Oh Lily," Alice said running over to her friend and holding Lily's hair. "Are you still having morning sickness?" Alice asked her best friend three days before Christmas.

"Ugh," Lily groaned as she rolled over from the toilet to lean against the bathtub. "how much longer does this morning sickness continue?"

"No idea," Alice said sitting down to her best friend.

"Do you still have morning sickness?"

"Yes but not everyday anymore, here and there."

"Lucky you. I get sick everyday and sometimes twice a day."

"You are only a month pregnant and I am two. Besides some women have morning sickness up to five months."

"You have got to be kidding me!" Lily moaned, "Wait. Why aren't you at work?"

"Lunch break."

"So you came to visit me instead of my husband?"

"The boys ended up getting in a fight with one of the guys going through our training so they did not get lunch today, they had to do extra laps."

"Who did they get in a fight with?"

"Amos Diggory."

"What!" Lily said as what little color that was left in her face was now gone.

"Yup."

"Amos is trying to be an Auror?"

"Yes, but the main word is _trying_."

"I did not even know that he was going to be an Auror."

"Oh don't worry Lily," Alice giggled. "There is no way that he will make it, he really sucks. Oh! I almost forgot, did you know that Sirius has a date tonight?"

"With Amelia? What's new?"

"No not Amelia."

"What? They have been a thing since the Ministry Ball…"

"Wrong," Alice said shaking her head. "Don't worry, I thought the same thing. Supposedly they are only friends."

"Oh, you could have fooled me. So who is the mystery girl?"

"Dorcas Meadows."

"The Ravenclaw seeker during our sixth year?"

"Yeah," Alice nodded. "She graduated a year before us."

"Wasn't she brunette?"

"I honestly don't know," Alice shrugged. "She changes the color of her hair everyday, but she is also in our Auror training class."

"Why didn't she do it last year?"

"She was taking care of her sick mother, and her mum passed away in March. Dorcas is a very sweet girl."

"How is Amelia taking it?"

"I honestly don't know."

"I could have sworn they were dating."

"Me too."

There was a 'pop,' and the girls heard, "Lily? Lily, are you home?"

"In here Amelia!" Lily and Alice yelled from the bathroom.

Amelia walked into the downstairs half bath and frowned at her two friends, "What are you guys doing in here?"

"Oh shucks!" Alice said looking down at her watch, "I was suppose to be back at work five minutes ago. Later you guys."

"Bye," Amelia and Lily said at the same time as Alice left the bathroom and was heading towards the living room.

"What were the two of you doing in here?"

"When Alice showed up, I was in here throwing up my guts." Lily moaned.

"I thought you looked paler than usual."

"Help me up, will you?"

"As long as we can have some tea in your kitchen nook."

"Sounds perfect," Lily nodded.

Once the girls were in the kitchen nook drinking tea, Lily began to question Amelia. "Did you get off early today?"

"Yes," Amelia nodded. "Thank goodness."

"Are you and Sirius an item?"

"What?" Amelia began to laugh manically as she almost spit her tea all over Lily's pale face.

"Are you and Sirius an item?"

"No," Amelia said shaking her head.

"You aren't?"

"No, we are just friends."

"Well you know we all thought that you two were an item."

"No we are just friends."

"Did you know that he has a date with Dorcas Meadows?"

"So she said yes, that's awesome." Amelia said smiling from ear to ear.

"I can not believe I am hearing this," Lily said beginning to rub her ears.

"What?" Amelia asked clueless.

"The other week you were joking about maybe you should get pregnant next."

"Yeah, and?"

"I figured that you meant a baby with him."

"Sirius!" Amelia asked beginning to laugh uncontrollably. "Oh…too…funny…must…stop…laughing."

"I don't understand."

After Amelia was able to breath and stop laughing, "Don't get me wrong. I see why your friend Cassidy fell in love with Sirius, married him, and wanted to start a family with him. Sirius is a wonderful man, but Sirius and I just aren't compatible."

"What is that suppose to mean?"

"This is too funny because at first Gabriella, Alice, and you were all angry with me for being with Sirius."

"I know, I know. I am glad Alice and I got over that stupid grudge, because you are a wonderful person and friend."

"How about some butterbeer?"

"Oooh, that sounds really good. Think we could get some cauldron cakes too?"

"Why not?" Amelia shrugged, "Let's get to The Three Broomsticks."

"I have to go to the fireplace and Floo."

"I thought you had your Apparation license?"

"I do."

"So why aren't you going to apparate to the Three Broomsticks?"

"Duh Amelia!" Lily chuckled, "When you are pregnant or ever with someone who doesn't have their Apparation license then you have to Floo."

Amelia began to giggle to herself, "I should know that."

"Yeah especially since you are thinking of joining the bandwagon and getting pregnant too, but with who's child?"

"I guess the next nutter I run into," Amelia began to laugh and Lily just shook her head.

"You are just too much, sometimes you are just too much Amelia Bones."

"Where are you going?"

"I have been reassigned."

"What about us!"

Bellatrix Lestrange cackled her laugh that showed her insanity, "Pete, you are and have only ever been a good shag."

"What!" Peter yelled, "I…I started to fall in love with you…"

"I told you my pet, not to fall in love with me. I love only my husband."

"I…I…"

"I have got to go," Bellatrix said apparating with her things.

Peter dropped to his knees onto his hardwood floor and felt his whole world falling apart. Peter had loved Bellatrix and forever he tried to deny it. Now that she was going off on a special mission ordered by the Dark Lord with her husband, and now she was just dropping him off like a battered old school book.

Bellatrix had been one of the many reasons that Peter had joined ranks with Voldemort, that and his scary powerful powers scared the crap out of him too.

Of course the fact of all of his friend becoming traitors to their friendship and James falling in love and marrying that horrid Mudblood. Then he goes and knocks her up. Sirius married that ungrateful pureblood that dirtied herself with the said Mudblood. O'Brian would have been ideal for the Dark Arts, but she had to back up the Mudblood and the Mudblood loving fool Dumbledore. Remus's filthy Spaniard was a dirty as the rest of those dirty whores she hung out with.

"Pete?" Peter turned around on his knees and turned to see Sirius, the husband of the first woman he had killed. "What are you doing on the floor?"

"My knees gave out on me again," Peter lied.

"Poor Pete," Sirius chuckled. "We are all going to the Three Broomsticks."

"You are off of work early today, huh?"

"Not really, we all kind of got in trouble. Anyways, Amelia and Lily owled James and me at work to meet them there. To get you, Alice, and Frank to come too."

Peter's dark mark began to burn and he knew better than to grab his arm because Sirius of all people would know what was going on if he grabbed his arm. One because Sirius's biological family was all into the dark arts and in fact Sirius's brother and two cousins were Death Eaters. Two because Sirius was in Auror training.

"I can't," Peter said which really surprised Sirius.

"Why not?"

"Mother," Peter sighed.

"Oh boy," Sirius said sitting down on Peter's couch which really irritated Peter because he needed to get to the Dark Lord, as he was being called.

Peter looked at his watch and made a surprised face, "Shit! I am late and she is going to…"

"Have a hippogriff," Sirius nodded. "We will all miss you, but until then…" Sirius apparated out of Peter's apartment to the Three Broomsticks.

"About time," Peter said rolling his eyes as he disapparated from his flat to the location that the Dark Lord wanted all of his worshipers to meet him at.

"Hey Sirius," Alice said smiling from ear to ear. Alice's emotions had been going all over the place and Alice being pleasant towards Sirius was a big surprise to everyone at the table, including Alice.

"Hi Alice."

"Where is Peter?" James asked Sirius looking for his other friend.

"Mother Pettigrew is requesting a dinner with her only child."

"You know that poor guy sees that old hag more now then he did when he still lived with her."

"James!" Lily said shoving her husband, "That is a horrible thing to say!"

"You have never had to deal with the great Mother Pettigrew," Sirius said sitting down next to Amelia.

"I met her at James and my wedding."

"Yeah, but you _only_ met her. You don't _really_ know her."

"Sirius is right you know," Frank added which surprised both girls.

"How would you know?" Alice asked her husband, "You have never been over to Peter's house as of my knowledge."

"I had been gone to Mrs. Pettigrew's house a few times with my mother when I was younger, you know when my father was running for Minister of Magic. Mrs. Pettigrew and my mother had been in the same house at Hogwarts and just a few years apart."

"Oh, but you only met her once?" Alice asked a bit confused.

"A lot before I started Hogwarts, and only a few times after I went to Hogwarts."

"So where is Dorcas?" Amelia asked changing the subject and looking at Sirius as she was winking at him.

Lily and Alice looked at each other as they almost chocked on lemonade, "She is on call today."

"She still could have come," James mentioned and James's admission shocked Lily greatly.

"Stuff it Prongs," Sirius said rolling his eyes. "Dorcas said she couldn't make it today, so she couldn't make it. Enough said, now can we please change the subject."

"I picked a name out today," Alice said smiling from ear to ear.

"For what?" Sirius asked stupidly, not catching what Alice was talking about.

"My baby."

"A bit early isn't it?" Sirius asked.

"Never too early to start thinking about the name of your baby," Lily interjected.

"What is the name you were thinking of?" Frank asked his wife.

"Talon."

"Ek!" Sirius groaned as he spit butterbeer all over James.

"Eggh! Padfoot!"

"Where the hell did you come up with the name Talon? I would kill my mother if she named me that, well honestly I hate my mother so I would kill her regardless."

"I like the name Talon," Alice said.

"Alice," Lily spoke up. "I love you to death and you are my best friend, but _please_ don't name your child Talon. Besides you don't know if your baby is going to be a boy or a girl."

"True," Alice sighed. "Just seems like it is going to be like forever before our babies are here with us."

"So you are all coming to our Christmas Eve party, correct?" Lily spoke up.

"What Christmas Eve party?" Everyone but James and Lily asked at the same time.

"James!" Lily yelled and smacked her husband on his arm, "I told you to tell everyone as you see them almost everyday and I don't with my schooling."

"Sorry love, but I forgot with everything we have been doing during our training."

"James is right, Lily."

"I didn't ask you Sirius." Lily said not taking her eyes away from her husband.

"Lily I am truly sorry," James said looking over at Alice and Frank for help.

"Here is your tea, Mrs. Potter." The waitress at the Three Broomsticks said but jumped back when she heard Lily wail.

"Ah!" Sirius yelled throwing his hands over his ears.

"Lily, what's wrong?" James asked his now crying wife.

"I…can not drink…t…tea," Lily cried. "Caffeine is bad for…the…baby…that's not my drink."

"I am so sorry," the waitress walked off to go and get Lily's correct drink.

"Come here love," James said pulling his crying wife into his arms. "It was only a mistake I am sure, she didn't mean to upset you."

"How do you know?" Lily asked as big crocodile tears.

"Our waitress looked very sad that she got you so terribly upset."

"I am so sorry," Lily sobbed back into her husbands chest.

"For what, love?"

"Acting like this!"

James pulled Lily back from his chest and looked straight into her watery green eyes, "This is just hormones Lily."

"How do you know?"

"I read it a book about pregnancy."

"You read that?" Sirius asked, everyone ignored him and Amelia slapped Sirius upside his head.

"Can we go home?" Lily asked with just a few tears falling down her face, "I don't feel too well and I have embarrassed myself now."

"Sure," James said kissing the top of her head. "Whatever you want."

The next morning James heard his daily alarm for the last few weeks, Lily throwing up whatever she had eaten the night before.

James knocked on the door, "Are you alright Lily?" Another wrenching sound and he sighed. He loved the thought of Lily carrying their child, but he hated the morning sickness and how much it exhausted her.

James opened the bathroom door to see Lily laying on the cold tile floor, "Are you alright?"

"When does this end?" Lily whined.

"Anytime or up to about your fifth month. I even read that some women have morning sickness up until they give birth."

Lily opened her eyes and looked straight up at James, "Your child better not keep me that sick up until then."

James sat down beside his wife and held her in his arms, "Do you really want to have this baby?"

Lily pulled back and blinked at him, "Of course I do. I mean…you still do, right?"

"I can't wait until we our baby is in this world with us, but it seems all you are doing lately is complaining about it."

Lily chuckled at her husband, "Ask Frank and I guarantee you that Alice has been doing the same. I am just being moody and grumpy. I ache all over my body and I throw up everything I eat the night before. I love knowing," Lily said putting both of their hands over her abdomen. "That in here our baby is growing and waiting to see us in a few short months. I can't wait until I get a little belly and when I begin to feel the baby move. To feel the baby kick, I really can't wait for all that."

"Neither can I," James said smiling from ear to ear.

"My hormones are going a million different ways and I am going to be moody. For this I am sorry, but that's what happens with pregnant women."

"I know this Lily and I am ready for the ride as we are waiting for baby Potter to join us."

"I need to take a shower," Lily moaned. "I got vomit in my hair."

James's nose curled up, "Ek."

"Ek, is right. Want to join me in the shower?"

"Wash your hair first."

Lily rolled her eyes, "Of course. It's not as if I would rub my hair on your body."

"Your vomit hair."

"Oh James Potter, what will I do with you?"

On December the twenty-third, James Potter came home from work and found a frazzled Lily Potter and a trashed house.

"Lily?" James asked as his eyes bugged out at his destroyed home, "What has happened to the house?"

"These damned hormones!" Lily said eyeballing the sofa and it blew up.

"Ah!" James yelled and he jumped away from the sofa, as he had been two feet away from it. "What did the sofa ever do to you?"

"Fell on my foot," Lily whined as she threw herself down into James's favorite armchair.

"How did that happen?"

"It started floating earlier."

"How did it start floating in the air?"

"I thought it would be funny and I was sad earlier."

"Why were you sad?"

"What's with the twenty questions?" Lily asked twirling her hair around her index finger.

"Sorry, but I have never seen our house this trashed before."

"I was trying to clean and fold laundry and some how I blew the living room up. Then the more and more I tried to fix it and clean the house up, well the worse it got."

"Can you call for a pizza and I'll fix our living room?"

"Only if you promise you aren't mad at me."

"Lily," James said pulling Lily up from the chair and hugging her closely. "I can never be mad at you. I love you too much. Now go order us some pizza and get some of that fizzy stuff that muggles like to drink."

While Lily went into the kitchen to use their muggle telephone to order some pizza and soda pop, Sirius popped in.

"Wow Prongsie, what have you and Lily been doing now? You know it is too early to start trying for baby Potter number two?"

"I know that," James said rolling his eyes while he was doing some cleaning and repairing spell and charms. "Lily's hormones haven't only taken over her being sick, her mood swings, but now her hormones are also taking over magical powers."

"Oh boy."

"So Lily trying to clean the house and do some laundry…"

"Was disastrous?"

"Exactly."

Leaving another Death Eater gathering that our Dark Lord has called us too turned out exactly how I expected it to be. The Lestranges have a secret mission outside of the country, Crouch Jr. is in charge of Muggle baiting with the Malfoys. Pettigrew looked pathetic at finding out that his secret lover, Bellatrix, is leaving with her husband. He acts as if it is a big deal or something.

Of course I have my own secret mission, but that isn't important at the moment…

"Amelia are you home?" Sirius asked as he apparated into the living room of her small flat, "Amelia?"

Still no answer and Sirius began to get worried when he heard on answer from her.

"Amelia?" Sirius asked opening her bedroom door.

"Sirius!" Amelia yelled as she threw her towel around her.

Too late, Sirius had gotten a pretty good look at her backside. "Sorry! So sorry!"

"Go Sirius!" Amelia yelled and he slammed the bedroom door closed, "I will meet you in the living room in five minutes.

Amelia came walking down the stairs in a tight ice blue sweater and a pair of bellbottom jeans, "What was so important that you barged in on me right after I had taken my towel off."

"I didn't mean to walk in on you naked."

"Sure," Amelia said rolling her eyes.

"I'm not lying."

"I apparated and I called and called your name and I didn't hear anything from you. I got worried about you and I went to explore your house to see if you were really here or if…"

"Sorry Sirius."

"You looked damned sexy," Sirius winked at her.

"You pervert," she shoved him.

"Only for you, only for you."

"Whatever," Amelia chuckled and rolled her eyes at him.


	21. Biggest Mistake of Her Life

**Chapter 21**

"Lily quit!" James whined.

"I can't!" Lily began to cry and then looked down at her belly, "Why are you doing this to me!"

A pregnant Lily was blowing things up again, but more frequently then before. James was scared that if Lily was just a month pregnant and making things blow up then how bad was it going to get with the further Lily got through her pregnancy?

"I am so frustrated and my hormones are off the chart!"

"Sit," James said guiding her to the sofa. James then handed Lily some knitting needles and some yarn, Alice had Lily knitting with her now. "Knit."

"But the house…"

"I will decorate."

"You don't know how."

"You sit there," James said giving her a look she had never seen before…was it terror? "Just knit and please don't get mad and me or send things flying towards me."

"James!"

"I will clean the house up and then you tell me what you want up for all the decorations, and I will do it all."

"I want to…"

"No."

"I agree with Prongs."

"No one asked you _Black_," Lily growled as their good friend came from the front door. "Don't you ever knock?"

"Hormones flying again?" Sirius asked not looking at Lily, but looking at James in pity. "Geez, Cassidy had just got into crazy hormones before we lost…" Then he shut up. It just hit Sirius that this was the first Christmas he would be without his wife, today would have been their first year wedding anniversary. They would be getting ready to celebrate Aurora's first Christmas. "I will be back later…"

"Sirius?" Lily said turning around realizing what was going on in his head.

James's eyes bugged out, he knew that tone in Lily's voice and he knew exactly what was going on now. "Sirius."

"See you guys tonight at eight," Sirius disapparated.

"Oh man."

"Exactly," Lily sighed.

"What is going on you guys?" Amelia asked walking out of the fireplace.

"Since when do you use the Floo Network?" Lily asked looking at her friend oddly.

"Since I wanted to," Amelia said sticking her tongue out at Lily. "Where is Sirius? I just went by his flat to see if he had a cup of sugar I could borrow."

"A cup of sugar?" James asked not convinced, "Why would you need to borrow a cup of sugar? You have a wand, you could just magic it."

"I am not good at just doing magic with food, I always mess it up."

"Why didn't you come and borrow sugar from us?"

"Because I have seen Lily with her crazy hormones and stuff flying. Alice's hormones have not got that crazy, yet."

"Hey I resent that!" Lily yelled.

"Sirius was just here," James said changing the subject. "He got a bit upset and left."

"What did you do?"

"I didn't do anything," James answered honestly. "He just remembered what today is and that it should have been his and Cassidy's first Christmas together. Their one year anniversary, Aurora's first Christmas, and his first Christmas without them."

"Oh dear," Amelia sighed. "I should go find him."

"What is going on between the two of you?" James asked.

"Nothing," Amelia says shrugging. "Besides, he had a date with Dorcas Meadows a few weeks ago and some other girl just a couple of days ago. We are just friends."

"Do you know where he is at?"

"I have a few places in mind," Amelia nodded.

"I should go after him."

"No stay here, clean the house, and watch out for your wife."

"What about Sirius?"

"By the time I find him, he will have had the amount of time he needed by himself. I will make sure he is not _totally _belligerent when we show up at eight tonight."

"Thanks Amelia."

"Yeah thanks Amy," Lily said smiling. "You are a life saver."

There is that mongrel that gives the noble house of Black a bad name. How he got the name Black is beyond me. I would love to be the death of him and then we would have one less blood traitor. Master would love that I got rid of him.

Black would have been a great ally to our side, Merlin knows he has skills. Another blood traitor, goody too shoes and that Potter sidekick, make me sick.

It is so funny to me that none of the '_dream team_,' does not know that their '_friend_' is betraying them at this moment. That he has joined our side to be with that psychotic whore, Bellatrix Lestrange. That he is the reason that the blood traitors Cassidy Black and Gabriella Martinez is dead.

Just tickles me inside.

It is hard being out here alone on my own, but I could not be around them now. Not without her. It is just too tough, even though I wonder what they have all been up to. When I left Alice had just found out she was pregnant. I wonder how she and Frank are doing. Lily, James, and Sirius too. I miss them all.

"Mr. Lupin?"

Remus Lupin turned around to see the doctor he had been waiting for, "Yes?"

"Here is the recipe to make the Wolfsbane Potion. It is a hard potion to make, you will need an awesome potion maker to make it for you."

"I understand," Remus nodded and took the piece of parchment from the Healer in Spain. "Thank you."

More and more attacks and deaths were occurring as the days went on and there were very few happy days anymore.

Lily and James's Christmas Eve party would bring a little bit of happiness for a short while.

"Lily!" Alice said running over to her best friend and hugging her, "This party is just crazy!"

"I did not expect everyone to get so…"

"Trashed?"

"Yeah," Lily chuckled.

"They aren't that trashed yet…"

"You realize we are going to be like the only sober people here?"

"Yeah, but Lily we are the only pregnant women here."

"You have got a point now."

"Hey girls," Amelia said stumbling into her best friends.

"Trashed are you?" Lily chuckled.

"A bit," Amelia giggled.

"Where is Sirius?" Alice asked.

"I don't know," Amelia slurred. "Geez, sometimes I think that you guys think I am his keeper. Probably shagging Meadows," Amelia said with the usual sparkle in her eyes missing.

"I thought you liked Dorcas?"

"Who said I didn't?" Amelia snapped.

"Well the way that you…"

"I don't really even want to hear it Alice," Amelia said rolling her eyes. Lily and Alice looked at each other speechless, "I always knew you guys didn't like me but at least Lily acted like she liked me."

"What?" Alice and Lily asked at the same time looking clueless, and then Lily took over. "We love you Amelia."

"I did not mean any harm…"

"Whatever," Amelia said rolling her eyes and storming off into the crowd that was James and Lily's living room.

"What in Merlin's name?" Lily asked totally stumped.

"You are as clueless as me, but I know one thing is for sure."

"What is that?"

"Amelia was lying through her teeth, she is head over hills in love with Sirius Black." Alice said nodding her head back and forth and as much as Lily thought it would be wonderful for Amelia and Sirius to get together, but what happened if they got together and then split. What would happen to their group?

Things had already gotten really weird when Cassidy died, even weirder when Amelia began to hang out with them, horribly weird when Gabriella died, and just depressing when Remus left up and out of no where.

"Lily dear, are you alright?"

Lily turned around to see a very pregnant Molly Weasley beaming and just glowing with being totally smitten with being pregnant. "Molly!" Lily said smiling from ear to ear at her very dear friend, "It's been so long…"

"Too long," Molly nodded. "So I heard the happy news?"

"About?" Lily asked going blank minded for a moment.

"Your little bundle of joy."

"Oh," Lily said smiling again from ear to ear as her cheeks turned a slight shade of pink.

"Our babies will be the same age, same year at Hogwarts too!"

"Oh," Lily said smiling even bigger. "I did not even think about that, heck wouldn't that be so cute if they became best friends."

"Of course they will as long as they come out as sweet as we do."

"So you are due here soon, aren't you?"

Molly nodded, "March ninth."

"Three months. Wow, are you ready?"

"Been in labor four times and have five boys. I swear after the third kid, they just start sliding out."

"Molly!" Lily looked at her shocked as she began to blush.

"What? It's the truth!"

"So what are you having?"

"Another boy," Molly said with a somewhat sad smile.

"You aren't happy?"

"Of course I am, I love children but…"

"You were really hoping for a girl?"

"Yes. Arthur and I agreed that this is the last kid we are going to have. Six boys is enough, I don't know what I would do if I had a seventh."

"Seventh time could be the lucky one."

"I know, but I just keep getting my hopes up for a girl."

"Sorry Molly."

"No don't be," Molly said shaking her head. "I love all of my boys, but I would love to have a girl to help me around the house. You know dress up, and do all the little cutesy little things with."

"You ready?"

"Yeah," Molly sighed. "My back has been really killing me. How far along are you?"

"Two months and Alice is three months."

"Alice and Frank are going to have a baby too?"

"Yeah," Lily said smiling from ear to ear. "Alice and Frank told us all that they were expecting the night of the ministry ball."

"You know so many women are pregnant this year?"

"Really?"

"Yes. You, Alice, me, Edgar Bones's wife , Lynne Patil, Craig Abbot's wife, Sally Moon, Narcissa Malfoy…"

"Narcissa Malfoy," Lily said turning ghost white.

"Yes those horrid people decided to bring another spawn to the Black family and Malfoy family name, no offense towards Sirius."

"He doesn't even claim himself a Black, he says that's just his last name. By heart he is a Potter, through and through."

"I totally agree," Molly nodded and she looked across the room. "Oh no! I need to go pull Arthur away from the punchbowl he looks…"

"Drunk," Lily giggled. "I bet all of our money in Gringotts bank that Sirius spiked it."

"I totally agree. Good bye sweetheart, and please don't lose touch."

"I won't I'll owl you soon, we have got to go out for tea one day."

"Of course," Molly nodded and she went off to rescue her drunk husband.

Lily sat down on one of the empty chairs just feet from where she had been sitting, and was truly thinking. Lily remembered Lynne, she had graduated two years before Lily and she had been a very sweet girl. Sally graduated the year before Lily, but Lily had had a Muggle Studies class with her in her fifth year, in fact Lily had tutored Sally for a while. She had met Edgar's wife once or twice and she was very quite, but sweet…Craig's wife too.

But the fact that Narcissa and Lucius Malfoy were having a child too…

Repulsive.

Totally repulsive.

Just the thought of them was…

"_Lily_!" James said pushing Lily's chair back into the wall and kissing her very passionately, while she could smell the Firewhiskey on his breath.

When Lily could finally pull back she felt very faint and looked up at him, "What was that for?"

"Because I love you," James winked at her and then whispered into her ear. "Let's go upstairs."

Lily's eyes got big and she giggled at him, "_James_ we can't!"

"Yes we can," James said setting the chair down and now crawling into her lap, straddling her.

"No we can't James, we have company."

"Yes we can, everyone is so trashed they won't even notice. Even if they do, who cares? We are married."

"Later James."

"Fine," he pouted.

The party had been a total smash and everyone had had a wonderful time. A good time that they all really needed was a holiday for all of them. Speaking of holiday…

"Lily," James said smiling at his sleeping wife.

"Five more minutes."

"Happy Christmas my beautiful wife."

Lily opened her eyes and looked at her handsome husband with his spectacles, and his more than usual messy hair. "Christmas?"

"Yes love," James said chuckling at his beautiful wife in the morning sun glow that was creeping in from the curtains. "It is Christmas."

"What are we doing up here then! Let's go and open presents!"

Lily jumped out of the bed, threw her robe on, and pulled James downstairs with her. To see Sirius Black sleeping on their sofa.

"Sirius?" James asked taking his glasses off and rubbing his eyes, while blinking.

"Huh?" Sirius asked sitting up and when he saw the Potters his face lit up. "I've been waiting for you guys for hours now."

"How long have you been here?" Lily asked resting her hand upon her abdomen without noticing her motherly instincts already kicking in.

"Since four this morning."

"Four?" Lily asked totally shocked, "But the party didn't end until about two thirty."

"I was too excited for Christmas that I couldn't sleep, but then waiting for you lazy bums to get out of bed I fell asleep. So when do we get to open presents!"

James and Lily sat on the sofa and Sirius jumped to the floor and began to sort presents in front of James's feet, Lily's and an empty spot in front of the armchair for himself. "Let's open!"

Lily chuckled, "I swear you are going to be as excited about Christmas as our child will be."

"I can't wait for the little marauder to come!"

"Who said it was going to be a boy?" Lily asked, "It could be a little girl."

"In your dreams," Sirius said rolling his eyes. "James knows better than that, he has to bring us a little marauder."

Lily rolled her eyes, "Okay let's just open presents."

Christmas had been wonderful for the Potters, Longbottoms, Amelia, and Sirius.

The biggest surprise of all would be coming soon and very soon…

Amelia Bones had been acting weirder and weirder around everyone else. Amelia began to not coming around as much as usual and this finally bugged Alice and Lily, so that they went to visit her at her flat.

"What in Merlin's name has happened here!" Alice asked putting her hand to her mouth and looking around terrified.

"I don't know but it looks as if there has been an…"

"No don't say it."

"Alice it looks like there has been an…"

"There was no Death Mark above this apartment, so there could not have been an attack!"

"Yeah, okay." Lily nodded trying to make herself believe Alice's story, "right she is fine."

"She has to be, she just has to be."

"Sirius would know. Let's try and find Sirius. Sirius would know what to do."

"Sirius?" James asked bringing his best friend out of his daydream, "What is going on inside that pea sized brain of yours."

"Stuff it Prongs."

"Well I have been trying to get your attention for over ten minutes. You were off in like Space."

"What do you mean space? Like closet space?"

"No like space, space."

"That makes no since whatsoever," Sirius barked.

"Yes it does," James said rolling his eyes. "That's what muggles call the place that keeps the stars and the moon."

"Right," Sirius said rolling his eyes.

"Ask Lily."

"Sure."

"Anyways, about what I have been trying to ask you."

"What is that?"

"Where did you show up after the party?"

"How would you know? You and Lily sneaked upstairs to do only Merlin knows what."

"We were doing what married couples do."

"Eek," Sirius said scrunching his nose up.

"So _after_ Lily and I came back downstairs we noticed that you were gone."

"I noticed that Amelia was missing too," Frank Longbottom said joining the guys down at dinner.

Sirius turned quaffle red and James began to chuckle, "I knew it! I knew you guys would _finally_ get together."

"Stuff it Prongs," Sirius snarled. "She woke up the next morning and told me that it was a total mistake and disapparated out of my flat talking about the biggest mistake of her life."

James was now rolling, "Biggest mistake of her life! That's rich."

"I said stuff it," Sirius snarled.

"James does have a point though, I mean have you ever been called anyone's '_biggest mistake of their life_?' "

"I said stuff it."

"That would be a no," James pointed out.

"What would be a no?" Lily asked sitting down beside her husband joining him for lunch as Alice sat down beside Frank.

"That…"

"No."

"Whatever," Alice said waving her arms around. "Lily and I have bigger problems here."

"What could be worse than a woman telling Sirius that he was the biggest mistake of her life?"

"Amelia's flat is torn up and ruined," Lily said with tears filling up in her eyes.

"**WHAT**!" Sirius yelled loud enough to make the entire restrant turn around.

"Yes," Alice nodded. "We showed up at Amelia's flat because she hasn't talked to neither one of us since the night of Lily and James's party."

"That might be because Sirius is the biggest mistake of her life."

"What are you on about now James?" Lily asked snapping at her husband, "What does that have to do with…" Lily eyes bugged out, "The two of you slept together than night didn't you!"

"What does that have to do with her flat destroyed!"

Three wizarding pagers went off at the table, and all three men looked down at them.

"It's a code green," James said looking from Sirius, to Frank, to Alice.

"What does a code green mean?" Lily asked totally clueless.

"Death Eater attack," the four of them said at the same time.

"I will meet you at home love," James said kissing the top of Lily's head.

"Yeah me too," Frank said kissing Alice too.

"What are you talking about?" Alice asked as her eyes got as big as saucers, "I am as much of an Auror as you are and I am coming along!"

"You are pregnant!"

"So what!" Both women yelled at the same time.

"For now," Sirius spoke up. "Swallow your pride for once Frank, let's just go."

"See you later Lils," Alice said as they all apparated to the Ministry so they would know where to go next.

Lily apparated out of the restaurant and back to her home with James to wait to hear what had happened next.

The Aurors had already been called, obviously their code 'green' from what I had heard from a few of our spies at the Ministry. The Aurors were really no match for us, they thought they were but in all actuality they really weren't.

The ones of us that were actually out here on the field had had the best training from the Dark Lord himself and had been studying the dark arts if not all of our lives then most of it.

We were throwing Aurors and killing them left and right.

I knew how much of a reward I would get from the Dark Lord if I killed Potter or one of his friends.

What a great asset I would be to the Dark Lord.


	22. Remus Lupin

**Chapter 22**

Lily Potter had fallen asleep on the couch in her living room awaiting to hear how everyone was and how this Death Eater attack had gone.

There was a racket at the front door that made Lily sit up from her deep sleep. It got quiet and Lily just figured it was something in that had to do with whatever she had been dreaming about.

Lily laid her head back on the couch and while getting comfortable and starting to drift back off to sleep, she heard the noise again.

When Lily had sat up earlier the noise stopped, so maybe if she stayed lain down a little bit then she might see something. Lily shifted her body to where she could clearly see the front door.

Lily heard the noise by the door again, but it was too dark in her house and the outside to see if there was someone by the windows by her door.

The noise got louder and louder, and this is when Lily got terrified. Then there was a knock at the door…

"Lily! Lily help!" Lily felt her whole body lock up, she knew that voice.

"Lily please help!" Lily also knew the second voice, but that second voice she had not heard since in almost four months.

Lily leapt up off of the couch and ran to unlock the door and was shocked at what she had seen.

"Amelia!" Lily yelled looking at the first voice she had heard, "Remus!" Lily yelled at the second person. "Come in, come in!"

Remus carried Amelia in his arms into James and Lily's living room and laid Amelia down on the couch that Lily had been sleeping upon. Lily sat in the armchair closest to the couch that Amelia was laying on. Remus sat on the loveseat to the right of the couch.

"Amelia!" Lily leapt from the armchair and began to hug her very good friend, "I missed you so! Where the bloody hell have you been!"

"I was at my mother's home," Amelia said as silent tears began to fall down her face. "Edgar is d…dead."

"Dead!" Lily asked as her eyes bugged out of her head, in which she turned to Remus and he nodded to Amelia's answer.

"They tried to kill Mary, you know his wife, but she was able to Floo to Mum and Dad's house in time. The Death Eater's followed her path and I made a Portkey for Mary to my house and then told her to Floo directly to Dumbledore's office."

"Did Mary and the baby get there in time?"

"Yes," Amelia said with a sad smile. "She has not had the baby yet, but she is due soon. I would not be surprised if this tragic suffering didn't bring the baby early."

"Of course," Lily nodded.

"Mum, Dad, and I fought the Death Eaters as long as we could. As you can see I got beat up pretty bad and Dad threw a portkey at me. I ended up at Edgar's torn up house and I saw my brother's dead body. While I sobbed over the loss of my older brother, I too Flooed to Dumbledore's office. Mum and Dad were killed by the hand of Voldemort," Amelia said starting to get chocked up. "I was realized from St. Mungo's after they checked me out, but they are keeping Mary there for observation."

"That is why your flat was so torn up!" Lily gasped, "Alice and I went by your flat earlier because we really have not heard anything from you since the Christmas Eve party."

Amelia nodded as tears began to fall from her face, "He was trying to kill my entire family off. Mum, Dad, and Edgar are gone. My sister-in-law and my niece will have to go on without them."

"And you."

"Of course and me, I will always stand strong with Mary and Susan."

"Susan?" Lily blinked, "Wasn't that your Mum's name?"

"Yes," Amelia said smiling from ear to ear. "They knew Mary was having a girl, but they had not agreed on a name yet. I saw Mary at St. Mungo's before Remus brought me over here and Mary said she is naming her baby Susan after Mum."

"Remus," Lily said turning to him smiling from ear to ear. "The last time you were around we all hated Amelia."

"She filled me in at the ER."

"Speaking of ER, what were you doing there?"

"I was released today."

"What were you there for?"

"Full moon."

"Oh," then her eyes got big as she turned to Amelia.

"I have known since third year."

"How?" Lily asked totally shocked.

"Figured it out. You know with the time of the month and all the star charts we did in school."

"So you are cool with it?"

"Of course," Amelia nodded. "Especially now that he is okay to take Wolfsbane Potion."

"So you are taking it?" Lily asked turning back to her good friend.

"Yes," Remus nodded. "I have been taking as soon as I could, as soon as I could find someone who could brew it for me."

Remus looked Lily straight in her eyes, "I wanted to come back, I really did."

"So what took you so long?"

"The grief…I needed to be alone. I needed to sort things out on my own." He sighed and Lily could see tears filling up in his eyes, "Merlin Lily, I miss her."

"We all do," Lily said walking over to her friend and hugging him tightly. "It was a double hit for all of us after losing her and then losing you. I am so glad you are back."

"As am I," Remus replied pulling back and smiling at Lily looking into those green pools that James Potter could never get enough of. "I would have been back sooner."

"But?"

"But every full moon I had to check into a hospital."

"Why?"

"You know how crummy I have always been with Potions."

"Yes," Lily nodded.

"Lily, I always knew my Gabby was a genius."

"We all did," Lily agreed.

"I should have given her more credit then I did."

"Remus you adored her, she knew that. Hell anyone who saw you with her instantly knew that."

"That isn't what I am talking about. Lily that potion Gabby invited is incredible!"

"But I thought…"

"Are you kidding me? That buffoon took credit from Gabby, that was her potion."

"Wow, but what is so good about it? I mean I know it will help you at the end of every month…"

"I don't become a werewolf anymore."

"What!" Lily yelled as her brilliant green eyes almost popped completely out of her head.

"Yes," Remus chuckled. "That was my reaction the first time I was given the potion. I still transform, but to a harmless wolf. Just like an animagus."

"Wow," Lily gasped.

"That is exactly what I thought. So you go into the hospital and tell them you are there to visit Mr. Bane. They take you to their psych ward."

"But you aren't crazy!"

"Hang on Lily," Remus chuckled. "They give you the potion and you just curl up in a padded room until the full moon passes. Quite refreshing actually."

"I don't understand."

"I use to go through so much pain as a werewolf and I was so angry with myself that I would inflict more pain. They put you in this padded room because some people still inflict pain on themselves, you know the ones that still hate themselves for what they are."

"That's horrible," Lily gasped.

"For me it was like a vacation every month."

"That's wonderful."

"I was in a padded room, so laying on the floor wasn't a big problem. I got to catch up on lost sleep, and when I finally wake up then I can run up and down the padded room. Feel like a kid all over again."

"So every month now you will check into St. Mungo's?"

"Actually I had a favor to ask of you?"

"Sure," Lily nodded. "Anything."

"Well we all know how much of a Potion wiz you are. So I was wondering if you would make the potion for me every month…that is if it isn't going to be a big deal for you and your Healer school."

"Actually I have put school on hold for a bit."

"Why?"

"As it is almost February, I am almost three months pregnant."

"Oh!" Remus's eyes lit up, "Congratulations!"

"Alice is about to be four months pregnant."

"Is there something in the water?"

"Anyways as long as you get me the potion ingredients and instructions, I am sure James won't mind watching the baby while I make the potion for you. James, Sirius, Peter, Frank, and Alice will be so happy that you are back! As happy as I am!"

"Where is everyone?"

"Everyone but Peter had to go out in the field, Death Eater attack."

"Alice too?"

"She didn't have to, but she wanted to. She is only four months."

"This is a critical time in her pregnancy and she shouldn't put her baby's life in the risk of being killed by a Death Eater while still in Alice's womb."

"So being pregnant should just handicap us?"

"You have gone and blew it now," Amelia laughed.

"No one should try and handicap you because you are with child, but you need to let go of your pride for once and think of the life that is growing inside of you. That baby is helpless and you are the only one that can truly protect it. Alice and you need to start protecting your babies now and be the wonderful and loving mothers that I know you will be."

"You always knew how to bring us to our senses," a very battered looking Alice Longbottom said walking into the room.

"What the bloody hell happened to you!" Lily yelled running to her best friend, Remus was on Lily's heel and Amelia would have been if she could get off of the couch on her own.

Remus caught Alice before she fell to the ground, "St. Mungo's."

Remus ran to the fireplace to Floo, "If the others show up let them know that I have taken her to get help. You stay here with Amelia."

Lily nodded and Remus left with Alice, "I hope she will be okay." Amelia spoke up.

"She has to be," Lily said as her eyes began to fill up. "I can not lose another friend or another little niece or nephew."

Amelia and Lily sat in silence for a while and then Lily spoke up, "I now see what Frank and James were talking about. They were not trying to handicap us and try and put us down because we are women."

"Of course not, they love you guys."

"If Alice loses that baby…"

"She won't."

"She can't. Our babies are suppose to grow up together and be like best friends."

"I know."

"Remus showed me the light, the light that my husband has been trying to show me. I have to be more careful with my pregnancy and take care of not only myself but my baby too."

"Exactly," Amelia nodded. "Now we just have to pound that into Alice's stubborn skull."

* * *

Many hours later; James, Sirius, and Frank showed up at Lily and James's home.

"Where is Alice?" Frank asked yelling at the top of his lungs and waking up a sleeping Lily and Amelia.

"Bloody hell man!" Amelia grumbled not being a morning person, "You didn't have to bloody well shout at us."

"Where the hell is my wife?" Frank growled.

"St. Mungo's," Lily yawned.

"Oh is that all!" Frank screamed.

"Don't worry she is fine," Remus Lupin said walking out of the kitchen eating one of Lily's yummy blueberry muffins.

"Remus!" The guys all yelled at the same time.

"Told you they would be as happy to see him as I was," Lily yawned at Amelia in which she nodded back sleepily at Lily.

"It is awesome to see you," Sirius said hugging his best friend.

"We missed you tons and it is great to have you back," James said joining Sirius in joining Remus and Sirius's hug. Then James pulled back, "You are staying aren't you?"

"Yes, of course."

"I am sorry to break up this happy moment, but where the hell is my wife!" Frank yelled again.

"Some one stick a sock in his damned mouth!" Amelia growled, "I am tired."

Remus chuckled, "I like her."

"Not a morning person," Sirius nodded.

"No one asked you," Amelia snapped.

"Alice is at St. Mungo's."

"Why!"

"She got here and passed out. Lily had told me that the both of them are pregnant and I was not only worried about Alice in the shape that she was in but her baby too. So I brought to St. Mungo's. They examined her and they are keeping her there for observation. I offered to stay with her until you got there, but she assured me that she would be alright and she wanted me to come back to James and Lily's to let everyone know how she was doing."

"I am going to go see her," Frank nodded.

"Tell her that I will stop by to see her tomorrow," Lily yawned.

"Yeah," Amelia nodded. "Tell Allie that I will stop by during my lunch break.

Frank nodded and apparated to St. Mungo's.

James crawled into the couch with Lily and took her in his arms, "Are you okay?" Lily asked looking into those handsome eyes of his that melted her heart every time.

"Of course."

"You are bleeding!" Lily said pointing at a deep cut that came across his head.

"I will be fine, just say one of your healer charms and give it a kiss."

"Oooh!" Sirius squealed, "A kissie wissie for Jamie's boo boo?"

Remus was laughing so hard that his stomach began to hurt and he gasped out each word, "Some things never change."

"Like?" Amelia asked.

"How James and Lily are still head over heels for one another, Sirius is still as immature as I remember…"

"Hey I resent that!"

"…No one knows where Peter is, and Alice has Frank running to her side."

"I guess none of has changed," James agreed. "How are you doing?"

"Better," Remus smiled. "A lot better."

"Albus will be happy that you are back."

"He already knows."

"Oh."

"Why do you look so banged up?" Sirius yelled and everyone turned to look to see who the hell he was talking to.

"Who?" They asked.

"You!" Sirius pointed at Amelia and walked across the room to Amelia.

"Get away from me," Amelia tried to move away but moaned as when she moved her body it hurt. "You look as banged up as I do!"

"Voldemort was after her family tonight," Lily stated. "Mary and Amelia were lucky to get away in time."

"How is the baby?" Sirius asked.

"As if you care," Amelia snapped.

"As a matter of fact I do. Unfortunately I know how much of a tragedy it is to lose not only your spouse but you child too."

"Oh yea," Amelia said looking mad at herself for opening her mouth.

"Edgar, Mr. and Mrs. Bones are dead." Remus spoke up.

"Are you okay?" Sirius asked her, "You should still be at St. Mungo's."

"You should leave me the hell alone!" Amelia yelled throwing her arms up and trying to get away from Sirius.

"You are hurting and you need…"

"For you to get away from me!" Amelia screamed and she pointed her wand at her head and she apparated away.

"Where the hell did she go!" Sirius yelled starting to pull at his hair.

"Obviously to get away from the biggest mistake of her life," Lily laughed.

"That isn't funny!"

"I don't understand," Remus frowned.

"Good, then James and Sirius can inform you on what I am talking about while I go to find Amelia." Lily said jumping into the fireplace and to Floo from fireplace to fireplace to find her near and dear friend.

"Biggest mistake of her life huh?" Remus chuckled.

There was a 'pop,' and the person had only heard Remus's comment.

"Are we talking about Amelia and Sirius?" Peter asked.

"Stuff it Wormtail and what are you doing here?"

"I heard about the attack."

"How you aren't important Ministry personal," Sirius said bluntly but not trying to be rude…well not intently.

"I know that," Peter snapped. "But mother heard it all over the WWN and she Flooed me at the house and told me what had happened. I came over here as soon as I got her calmed down. Where is Lily?" Peter asked as he looked around and noticed that she wasn't around.

"She went to find Amelia because Sirius scared her off," Remus chuckled.

"Moony!" Wormtail said going over to hug his long time friend, "Been a long time hasn't it?"

"Yes it has."

"Are you back for good?" James asked as he realized they really hadn't talked about him since Sirius scared Amelia off.

"Yes, yes I am." Remus nodded, "I have done all the soul searching that I needed to get done. I explored all of Europe and finally found the two things that I had been looking for."

"What were you looking for?" Peter asked as he sat down where Amelia had been earlier.

"The first thing was closure."

"Closure from what?" Peter asked and Sirius gave him a stupid slap.

"From losing Gabriella, stupid!"

"Oh yeah," Peter blushed.

"To find the instructions to the Wolfsbane Potion," Remus continued.

"That stuff that the idiot that worked with Gabriella made?"

"No," Remus shook his head. "Gabriella invented it."

"But…" Peter stuttered looking confused.

"Trust me I am thinking the same that the rest of you are. As soon as he started talking about it, I started to remember things. Gabriella left that amazing job she had at Gringotts to work with Potions and come up with a potion that she said she had been dreaming about making from around the time we got together. I had not told her immediately what I was, but when I did she took me in her arms and told me how sorry she was for me."

"In the months before she died, she was working double time. She loved me but she was very, very touchy around me especially around the full moon. Gabriella told me before she died that she was making a potion that would change our lives forever. The Wolfsbane potion would defiantly change our lives. I would become a harmless wolf and could just stay at home with her. Gabriella invented that potion and I know it. Not that idiotic git. Gabriella, only Gabriella."

"Of course it all makes sense," James nodded.

"Gabriella had always been a saint towards you," Sirius smiled at their close friend.

"Always was and always will be," Remus said smiling and clutching the little heart necklace he had given her a few months before her death. The necklace that he had given her once she was handicapped and they thought she would never walk again.

Gabriella Martinez saint on Earth and Remus's guardian angel.


	23. Spy

**Chapter 23**

"This is an outrage and I can not believe that the ministry is being such sexist pigs towards this!" Alice Longbottom yelled from Lily's couch while Lily was sitting in the arm chair next to it knitting.

"Stuff it Alice," Lily said rolling her eyes and counting to make sure the blanket was right. "It is almost March, you are five months pregnant and your belly is starting to show."

"That doesn't mean that have to shove me on maternity leave! I could have been pushed into paperwork!"

"Allie they tried that and you started screaming like a banshee, remember?"

"No one asked you wolf boy," Alice snapped.

Remus began to laugh hysterically, "Hormones got your knickers in a bunch?"

"Don't you blame this on bloody hormones! Men! You are all the same!"

"Allie dear, it is hormones." Lily nodded, "Get over it, I have."

"No!" Alice screamed and all the pillows on the couch blew up and feathers began to float all over the room. Lily and Remus's eyes bugged out of their heads and Alice just began to laugh and cry so hard at the same time.

"You aren't doing that yet, are you?" Remus asked turning to Lily.

"Only once or twice," Lily admitted. "It was at the beginning of my pregnancy, now I am making things appear and disappear. I couldn't find James for an hour the other night, I had some how locked in him the basement."

"Merlin," Remus laughed.

"Did…did I make those pillows blow up?" Alice asked as she was crying because she was laughing so hard.

"That would be a yes," Lily nodded going back to her knitting.

"How?"

"What do you mean how?"

"I have never done that before."

"Really?" Lily looked stunned, "I started blowing things up almost immediately."

"Different pregnancies, different effects. Happens all the time," Remus nodded.

"What time is it?" Alice asked looking around.

"Ten to two," Remus said looking up from his watch.

"I'm going to be late!" She yelled as she jumped off the couch and the couch bounced up three feet. Alice walked to the fireplace and Flooed to St. Mungo's for her doctor's appointment.

"Your eyes didn't pop out when Alice made the couch bounce?" Remus asked Lily as if this was just so weird.

"I am so use to things going crazy that it's just come normal, you know all the crazy witchcraft. Besides I was a little worried."

"Why?"

"All these crazy things that Alice is now going through, well I went through within my first few months."

"Alice is finally making things go crazy?" A voice said from behind them and Remus jumped in fright.

"Hey Amelia," Lily said never looking up from her knitting.

"Hey," Amelia said sitting down and taking the spot where Alice had been sitting at before.

"Where did you come from?" Remus asked clutching his chest, "You scared me half to death."

"Sorry," Amelia said clicking her tongue. "I just got back from Mary's house."

"How is she doing?" Lily asked finally putting her knitting down.

"Trying to deal. I hired someone to clean the house up, and she's putting the house up for sale. She found a cute little house in Scotland, I am helping her move the next few days."

"What about work?" Remus asked.

"I have been given some days of leave," Amelia gave a sad smile. "Mum and Dad's funeral is tomorrow and Edgar's is on Friday. Mary has been staying at my flat with me, she refuses to go home unless she really needs something from there. So I was telling the movers what needs to go where and what is going and what is staying."

"Send her James and my love."

"Thanks."

"Mine too," Remus pitched in.

Amelia nodded and apparated to her apartment.

An alarm clock that sat on the mantelpiece, but it always blinked 12:00 a.m. Now it was going off and the time was still and said 6:30 p.m.

Lily turned to look at the alarm clock and sighed.

"What's wrong with that thing? Every time I have been around that thing only blinks midnight."

"It's a sign from Albus, that's telling us we have an Order meeting at six thirty tonight."

"Another meeting? That's two this month, I thought we only had usually one a month."

"You don't have the alarm clock?"

"No," Remus said shaking his head. "Sirius has a watch that goes crazy and then we know."

"That's right you moved in with Sirius at his flat. How long are you going to be staying there?"

"Until I can find my own place, Sirius told me not to rush it."

"Is he lonely?"

"Ha!" Remus started laughing, "Yeah right."

Lily walked across the room and got a quill, ink, and a piece of parchment. "He always has company over?" Lily asked as she sat down and began to write a letter on the parchment.

"Girls come in and out of the apartment. I know maybe a handful of their names. I have probably met fifty girls in the small amount of time I have lived with him."

"How does he know so many girls?" Lily asked as she whistled and tied her letter to her owl, "James." Lily said to the owl, the owl hooted as a way of saying, 'No problem!'

"No idea," Remus shrugged. "He has this drawer just full of names and Floo addresses. Contacts a new girl whenever he is board. I tell you what though, that Dorcas Meadows sure is smitten with him."

"Is she now?" Lily giggled.

"Yeah, but she is just a good shag for him. You know he never stops talking about Amelia."

"I am not surprised," Lily sighed. "Those two have a very complicated love life."

"You can say that again," Remus sighed.

* * *

"What's that?" Sirius asked James with a mouthful of mashed potatoes.

"Chew and swallow!" Dorcas yelled at him and rolled her eyes.

Sirius ignored her, which frustrated her and she stormed off.

"When are you going to tell her it's over?" Frank asked, "Because she is really starting to get annoying."

"She thinks she's my wife," Sirius growled.

"Then get rid of her," James said as he finished reading the letter from Lily that had just arrived via their owl.

"I want to, but anytime I want a good shag she's just a chimney away."

Frank chuckled and finished eating his dinner.

"What is that?" Sirius asked James again.

"Parchment."

"Yeah I know that!" Sirius rolled his eyes at James's sarcasm, "Who wrote you?"

"Lily."

"Duh Sirius, who else would write James."

"Stuff it Longbottom," Sirius said and then turned back to James. "So what does it say?"

"We having tea with the Dursley's tonight at six thirty."

Pumpkin juice squirted out of Sirius's nose and he looked at James as if he had grown three more heads, "What!"

"Isn't that Lily's in-laws?" Frank asked a bit confused.

"Yes." James nodded.

"Then why in Merlin's name are you and Lily agreeing to meet up with those horrid people?" Sirius yelled, which got odd looks from everyone in the cafeteria.

"Keep your voice down Padfoot, and I'll tell you guys." James looked around and no one was staring at them anymore. "Come closer." They listened to James, "That is our code for when I'm not home and Albus contacts Lily."

"Oh!" Sirius and Frank nodded as they now understood that this was the way that Lily and James would say that there was an Order meeting and at what times.

"That's a horrible way for Lily to let you know about the next meeting," Sirius said scrunching his nose up.

"Actually that's a pretty brilliant idea," Frank said contradicting Sirius previous statement. "Everyone who went to school with us knew that Lily's horrible muggle sister hated her, so for to invite over for tea is pretty odd."

"Exactly," James nodded. "Was all my idea, Lily thought I was insane at first. Until I explained it. She thought I was honestly suggesting that we go to Petunia's."

"Yuck!" Sirius said shuddering at this thought.

* * *

"Sorry to call you all on such short notice," Albus Dumbledore said talking to all of his friends and colleagues.

Everyone was present and looking at Dumbledore oddly, they usually at least had twenty four hours worth of notice. They all sat on two sides of the room and to each row there was two seats.

On the right side, first row was: Frank and Alice Longbottom. Behind them was James and Lily Potter. Following that row was Sirius Black and Dorcas Meadows. The fourth and final row sat Rubeus Hagrid, who took two seats and so Alastor Moody had to drag a chair to sit beside Hagrid.

On the left side, first row was: Remus Lupin and Peter Pettigrew. Behind them Emmeline Vance and Benjy Fenwick. Following them Sturgis Podmore and Caradoc Dearborn. The forth row sat Dedalus Diggle and Elphias Doge.

"I am sad to say that I have called you all in on a very sad occasion," Albus continued.

"Because of the murders on the Bones, correct?" Sirius asked and even though Dorcas didn't want to admit it, there was a spark in Sirius eye there for Amelia. Even a tone of concern for her.

"Yes but not only them, I am afraid my friends there have been more deaths among us all."

"What!" Remus asked looking stunned, as if losing Cassidy and Gabriella had not been enough. Edgar Bones and his parents were gone, but now even more?

"We all just met two weeks ago," Dorcas spoke up. "The night before the McKinnons went into hiding. We all took a picture together, we were all so happy and joyful."

"I am sorry to say that being happy and joyful are hard to come by these days."

"Who else has passed on?" Frank asked as he held onto his wife's hand.

"Marlene and John McKinnon."

"What!" Dedalus Diggle yelled outraged, Marlene had been his younger sister. "When! Where! Why! How!" He began to sob.

"Early this morning, as soon as I got word of it today I contacted you all for this meeting."

"Wasn't there suppose to be security watching them? Marlene was six months pregnant! What has happened to my niece, she too is murdered with her parents I assume!" Dedalus yelled.

"I am truly sorry for your loss Dedalus but I have had everyone from the Order taking shifts, except for Lily and Alice, to keep a watch out." Albus explained.

"Then how did they find out where Marlene and John were?" Emmeline Vance asked, she had been Marlene's best friend from childhood and she too had tears falling down her face. "How did they get past our security?"

"Our security was also murdered."

"Oh Merlin!" Benjy Fenwick gasped.

"Who was keeping watch?" Sturgis Podmore asked.

"Gideon and Fabian Prewett," Albus said and Lily noticed right then that her old Headmaster was looking much older than he had just a year ago…in fact just two weeks ago. She figured it had to be with the stress of the Order, the on going war with Voldemort and his Death Eaters, and still being Headmaster at Hogwarts.

"Blasphemy!" Caradoc Dearborn yelled, "The Prewetts were two of the best Unspeakables we had!"

"It took five Death Eaters to take them down," Albus continued. "They fought like the heroes that they were."

"They were the best duelers I had ever seen come through Hogwarts," Rubeus Hagrid spoke up.

"How could all of this had happened Albus?" Elphias Doge asked.

"One word," Albus sighed.

"What word is that?" James asked.

"A spy is in our mist," Alastor Moody said standing up from the back of the room.

"Codswallop," Peter stuttered.

"How could there be a spy upon us?" Lily asked, "We all took an oath to protect one another and fight together to defeat the evil that is trying to take over our world.

"We did all take an oath," Albus agreed. "Someone amongst us has betrayed us."

"How do we know who is doing this?" Alice asked as she unknowingly put her hand over her abdomen at that same time Lily did the same.

"That's the problem, we don't."

* * *

Spy, it was like a swear word. No one knew what to do or whom to trust.

On a Friday all the friends met up at the Leaky Cauldron, it was Alice to bring the subject of the spy up.

"Who do you all think it is?" Alice asked.

"Don't start that again," Frank sighed.

"What are you talking about?" Sirius played dumb, and no one else responded to Alice's question. Amelia was helping Mary make the last preparations for the three funerals they would have to attend tomorrow and the following day.

"Oh come one!" Alice urged them all, we know it's none of us. Peter's left eye twitched a bit, but no one noticed.

"What about Dedalus Diggle?" Peter said trying to start the conversation.

"No I don't think so," Frank said shaking his head. "He seemed truly surprised and horrified over Marlene and John's death."

"What about Emmeline Vance?" Sirius suggested.

"No way," Lily shook her head. "Emmeline also seemed distraught over Marlene and John's murders. Besides Marlene and Emmeline have been best friends since they were kids."

"Benjy Fenwick?" Remus suggested.

"Nope," James said blowing that assumption away. "Benjy was a close friend of my parents and he was as against the dark arts as were Mum and Dad were. Besides Benjy lost his wife to Voldemort three months before Mum and Dad were murdered, Benjy wants as much revenge towards Voldemort as the rest of us do."

"Sturgis Podmore?" Peter asked.

"Na," Alice spoke. "He is an Auror, he was in class with me."

"Still in class with the rest of us," Frank spoke up.

"Caradoc Dearborn?" Sirius asked.

"No," Lily spoke again. "Not only is he the Head Healer of St. Mungo's but he also taught in my class. He lost his children and his wife on a Death Eater attack while he was away at business. Besides he's been an old friend of Albus's for years."

"Defiantly not Hagrid," came James's voice. "Albus has been like a father to him for years, he would never go against him."

"Elphias Doge?" Remus suggested.

"He just retired from the Wizengamot there is no way," Sirius said with certainty.

"What about Dumbledore's brother?" Peter said trying to find an escape goat.

"I think Dumbledore would know whether or not he could trust his own brother," Alice snapped. She had been very snappish lately.

"Dorcas Meadows?" Remus asked.

"Sure suggest the chick I'm shagging," Sirius said rolling his eyes. "Besides I think I would know if the chick I was shagging was evil."

"Alastor Moody?" Peter said as he realized this was the last person in the Order.

"No way!" Frank, Alice, Sirius, and James said at the same time.

"Moody has been training us everyday," Frank spoke.

"He's been an Auror for years," Alice said as if everyone should know this information.

"He's one of the greatest Aurors to work for our Ministry." James spoke as if this was obvious.

"There is no way he would ever betray Dumbledore or the Ministry," Sirius said nodding his head to everyone else's comment about Moody.

"Who else does that leave?" Peter asked anxiously.

"The dead people," Sirius said sarcastically.

"Sirius!" Lily yelled, "That is terribly rude."

"We have gone through everyone, but no one seems like they would betray us." Alice sighed.

* * *

"What information do you have for me Wormtail?" Voldemort hissed at his lair with all the other Death Eaters present, including the Lestranges.

"They know."

"Know what?"

"They know there is a spy within them."

"Do they know that it is you?" Voldemort asked about to pull his wand out and kill Peter.

"They have no idea who it is but they know it is someone within the Order. With the murders of Edgar Bones, his parents, Marlene and John McKinnon, and finally the Prewett brothers."

"Took them long enough to catch on."

"What do I do know master?"

"Keep close."

"How do I know that they won't figure out that it is me?"

"You must convince your '_friends_' that it is someone else. Find an escape goat, that is your next mission." Voldemort cackled.

"Yes master."

"Master," spoke a voice that Peter knew too well.

"I thought you said that Wormtail would be able to help me plan the next Mudblood attack since you have my husband helping you and Lucius on your master plan?"

"Right you are Bellatrix, my love." Voldemort turned back to Peter, "Do you think your simple mind could handle two missions?"

"Yes sire."

"You better not let Bellatrix down."

"Trust me master, he won't." She purred.

* * *

"I think Pete has a girl again," Sirius spoke up at the dinner one evening that Lily and James had invited him to, Remus was also present. Alice and Frank were on vacation at his parents house, much to Alice's arguments.

"Why do you say that?" Lily asked from the stove as the three guys were sitting at the table.

"He hasn't been around a lot lately."

"Doesn't he have a consuming job?"

"Yeah right Lils!" Sirius laughed a bark like laugh, "He is a waiter at the Leaky Cauldron for Merlin's sake!"

"No he got a new job at the Ministry."

"Did he?"

"Lily's right," Remus nodded. "He is sending out notices for Magical misuse."

Sirius was rolling now and James shook his head in laughter, "You mean he is sending out those annoying messages telling you that you performed magic as you are under aged!" Sirius was laughing even harder now.

Lily turned around from the stove, "Stop it!" Lily yelled, "Stop it now!"

Lily's hormones kicked in and Sirius was hanging upside down up in the air.

"Oops!" Lily giggled as she covered her mouth with her hand.

"_Lily!_" Sirius whined, "Why would you do this!"

"She didn't do it on purpose," James said getting up and pulling his wand out. "It's her hormones from the baby."

"Evil baby!" Sirius yelled.

"No!" Lily howled and now Sirius was bouncing up and down in the air as she ran out of the room.

"You should have done that," Remus said laughing as James attempted to get Sirius out of the air.

After ten minutes, James finally got Sirius out of the air. Lily had ran out of the living room and James figured she was in the bathroom crying, again.

"What is that smell?" Sirius asked looking around.

"The food is burning!" James yelled.

"Take it off!"

"I don't know how." James opened the oven to take the pan out, "Ouch!"

"Move!" Remus said waving his wand and the casserole soared out of the oven and into the sink.

"What's that smell?" Lily said as her face was tear stricken.

"The casserole burned."

"Oh no!" Lily howled as the tear works started all over again.

"It's fine," James said rushing over to his hormonal wife. "Sirius upset you, it's not your fault. In fact we will go out to a Muggle restaurant, how does that sound?"

"Okay," Lily smiled from ear to ear.

"Go wash your face and we will leave in ten minutes," James said kissing the top of her head and then she walked out of the room.

"Gag, gag, vomit, vomit." Sirius said looking ill.

"Stuff it," James rolled his eyes. "In fact it is your fault that Lily is so upset, so stuff it."

Then James got an evil idea, "Do you have any toilet paper with you?"

"Why?"

"Muggles don't keep toilet paper for guests, only for themselves."

Remus was chuckling silently in the corner as he caught on to James's evil plan.

"Do you have some I can borrow?"

"Go get some from the bathroom and you have to bring your own silverware too."

"Oh okay, I'll just shrink it all and put it in my pockets."

"No," James said shaking his head. "Remember you can't do magic in front of Muggles."

"Oh yeah!" Sirius's eyes got wide, "But how can I bring all that with me?"

"You'll have to put it all in a bag and bring it with you."

"Okay…can I borrow a bag and silverware too?"

"Sure," James shrugged.

"Wait where is yours?"

"Lily will bring mine and hers."

"What about you?" Sirius asked turning to Remus.

"Lily has mine too, I asked her to keep it for me as we go out to lunch all the time."

"Oh," Sirius nodded and walked out of the room to get a bag and some toilet paper.

"You know once he realizes you lied to him, he'll kill you because of embarrassment." Remus laughed.

"I think he'll be too embarrassed to kill me."

* * *

"I can take your bag sir," the waiter said bowing to Sirius.

"No!" Sirius yelled, "I brought my own toilet paper and you can't have it!"

The waiter looked at Sirius oddly, as did everyone else in the restaurant except for Remus and James as they tried to stop laughing.

"What are you going on about?" Lily hissed as the waiter walked away still looking at Sirius oddly.

"I know about you Muggles!"

"What!" Lily asked flabbergasted.

"You don't like to share your toilet paper or silverware."

"What!" Lily asked again totally flabbergasted, "How much have you drank today!"

"James told me all about….Hey! Wait a minute!" Sirius said turning to James to see his best friend red in the face and laughing so hard he was afraid he would urinate on himself.

"Prongs!"


	24. It's a Boy!

**Chapter 24**

"Who's that from?" Alice asked Lily as an owl flew into the living room.

"Molly Weasley," Lily said as she began to read the letter. "She has had another boy, they named him Ronald."

"Bummer another boy, everyone knows the Weasleys wanted a girl."

"I know, but you know they knew they were having another boy."

"Really? Molly wasn't crestfallen?"

"No, but Merlin knows she wants a girl."

"You going to go see her?"

"Yes," Lily said nodding. "I have a doctors appointment at eleven and then I will go see her."

"Speaking of St. Mungo's," Alice said smiling from ear to ear I haven't told you yet.

"Told me what?" Lily asked eyeballing Alice, "You know you are suppose to tell me _everything_!"

"Sorry I just found out the other day and I haven't seen you since then."

"Okay," Lily nodded as Alice joined her on the sofa. "So what's up?"

"We are having a boy!"

"Really!" Lily said smiling from ear to ear, "Oh I am so happy for you! Thought of any names?"

"Abdukrahman."

"What!" Lily blinked, "Why?"

"I love it, don't you?"

"It means slave of the merciful God, I love it!"

"Beautiful," Lily said starting to get tears in her eyes.

"Lily what's wrong?" Alice said seeing the tears fill up in Lily's eyes.

"Nothing, I think I have something in my eye." Lily looked at the clock and acted surprised, "I have got to go or I will be late for my appointment." Lily walked to the fireplace and Flooed out.

"Lily wait!" But Lily was gone, "I thought her appointment was later on this afternoon?"

* * *

"Come in," a voice responded to the knock on the door. "Lily!"

"Hey Molly," Lily said smiling as she walked into Molly Weasley's hospital room. Lily looked around the room and frowned, "Where is the baby?"

"They took him to the nursery about an hour ago, they should be bringing him back soon."

"Good, I would like to see him."

"Arthur is bringing the boys down in about an hour or so to see the baby."

Lily sat down in the seat nearest Molly's bed, "How are you feeling?"

"Alright," Molly sighed. "I was not in labor for that long, actually I think he was my quickest."

"How long were you in labor?"

"Forty five minutes."

"Holy crap!" Lily chuckled, "Well that's good."

"Yeah, but I have been up here for three days."

"Three days?"

"Yes," Molly sighed. "I had not felt the baby move all morning and it was about lunch time, so we called Arthur's mother to watch the kids and he brought me up here. I had been up here for observation and then yesterday around dinner time my water broke."

"So March ninth is his birthday?"

"Yes," Molly smiled.

"What did you name him?"

"Ronald Bilius Weasley."

"That's nice."

"Honestly," Molly's nose wrinkled up. "I don't like his middle name."

"Then why did you give it to him?"

"It is a family name on Arthur's side and all the rest of the boys have family middle names and Bilius was the last one. So what are you doing up here?"

"I came to see you and Ronald."

"Okay, but other than that."

"I have a doctor's appointment today, find out what the baby is going to be today!"

"Oh congratulations! You will have to send me an owl saying what you are having."

"What are you talking about? I will come back and visit you and tell you."

"Where is James?"

"What do you mean?"

"If you are finding out the sex of the baby I would think that James would be here too."

"Oh yes," Lily chuckled at her absent mind. "He is, but my appointment is not until later on today."

"Then why are you here so early?"

"Alice upset me."

"How?"

"She found out the sex of her baby…"

"So?"

"That isn't why she upset me, in fact I am happy that she is having a boy."

"A boy? That's great! That means her baby and Ron will share the same dormitory at Hogwarts! Heck, they might even be friends."

"Maybe."

"So what has your knickers in a bunch?"

"The name she wants to name him," Lily said as tears began to fill up in her eyes again.

"What does she want to name him?"

"Abdukrahman."

"Merlin bless you."

"I didn't sneeze."

"Wait!" Molly said laughing so hard she was now crying, "T…that is the a…actual name she wants to n…name that p…poor child?"

"I am afraid."

"Woo," she sighed as she started to calm down. "She could change her mind."

"You think so?" Lily asked hopefully.

"I think so."

"Why is that?"

"Because with all of the children that Arthur and I have had we have changed our minds on the name of each one of the boys at least two or three times."

"Oh thank Merlin!"

"Lily!" Arthur Weasley said happily as he entered his wife's hospital room.

"Hello Arthur," Lily said turning around to the red headed man. "Congratulations on the new baby."

"Thank you."

"Where are the boys?" Molly asked as she noticed her other five boys were not present.

"Still at mother's."

"Why aren't they here?"

"I brought you lunch," Arthur held up a bag. "I figured you didn't want the gross hospital food, and I thought we could have lunch together alone."

"I should be going…" Lily said getting up.

"No," Arthur realized what he had said. "I meant lunch without the kids, you don't have to go…"

"I understand," Lily smiled. "I have another couple of hours before my appointment and James is about to go on lunch break so you just gave me an idea. Maybe I can snatch him away from the cafeteria food before he starts to eat with Sirius and Frank."

"You haven't even been able to see Ronald yet," Molly protested.

"I told you that I would stop by again after my doctors appointment."

"You promise."

"Yes, in fact it's a baby date."

* * *

"James," Sirius said with food stuffed in his mouth which got Frank laughing again because he knew how much it annoyed Dorcas.

"You are impossible!" She screamed.

"Go away!" Sirius yelled at her as food began to spray all over her, "I told you that I am not interested in you any more!"

"But Siri!"

"**GO**!"

"James," Sirius said now that there wasn't any food in his mouth from spiting it all over Dorcas.

"What?" James said as he was about to bite into the cafeteria food.

"Don't you dare eat that James Potter."

"Lily!" James said turning around to see his now barely showing pregnant wife. "What a surprise!"

"Good," Lily smiled. "Now don't eat that."

"Why not? He paid for it," Sirius demanded to know.

"Then you eat it."

"Alright!" Sirius said taking James's tray out of his hands.

"What!

"Yes," Lily giggled. "Because we have a lunch date and then we are going to St. Mungo's."

"Baby coming!" Sirius said hopefully.

"No," Lily giggled again. "It is a bit too early, but we find out the sex of the baby today."

"Okay celebration tonight at the Three Broomsticks!" Sirius yelled, "Frank and Alice are having a boy, we will find out what the two of you are having. I will notify Pete, Remus, and Frank." Sirius then turned to Frank, "Three Broomsticks at seven."

"Okay," Frank chuckled.

"What about Amelia?" Lily frowned.

"She doesn't like or talk to me," Sirius sighed. "You tell her."

"I will get Alice to," Frank spoke up.

"Or that," Sirius shrugged.

"Where are we going?" James asked.

"I was hoping The Leaky Cauldron?"

"Why that dump?" Sirius yelled.

"Stuff it or I will make you bounce up and down again," Lily growled.

"James!" Sirius whined, "You said she did that on accident!"

"Leaky is fine, let's go."

* * *

"Lily? Lily are you here?"

"They are at the hospital," a voice said from the couch.

"Sirius!" Amelia yelled as she clutched her chest, "You scared me!"

"Sorry."

"You don't sound like it," Amelia snapped remembering that she was still angry with him.

"I am. I am just not in a good mood."

"Why not?"

"I thought you didn't like me," Sirius snapped back. "Biggest bloody mistake of your life."

"When will Lily be back?" Amelia asked deciding to change the subject.

"Not until late tonight."

"Shit!"

"Didn't you get Alice's message?"

"No," Amelia said shaking her head no. "Why?"

"Lily and James find out the sex of the baby today."

"Really!"

"Yes and I suggested that we all meet up at the Three Broomsticks at seven. Celebrate what James and Lily aren't going to have and that Frank and Alice are having a boy."

"They are!"

"Yeah," Sirius said rolling over to the other side of the couch.

"What are you doing here?"

"Trying to sleep."

"Why are you sleeping here?"

"My flat is being fumigated."

"Why?"

"Remus brought fleas into it."

"No he didn't," Amelia giggled.

"That's not funny!" Sirius rose from the couch and yelled, "It's not his fault!"

"I know that," Amelia blinked as she stepped back. "I was laughing as in poor Remus not as in being rude."

"Oh, okay then." Sirius said crawling back onto the couch to nap, "You can go now."

"Aren't we rude?"

"As I am the biggest mistake of your life, I really don't want to be number two or number three mistake too."

"Sirius…"

"I said go."

"You know Cassidy would never accept you being so rude…"

"Don't you talk about her!" Sirius yelled as he jumped off of the couch again, "You didn't know her!"

"Are you kidding me! I went to school with her and I was friends with her the summer that James and I dated and she was over every afternoon. Cassidy would never accept you being so rude, maybe Dorcas does…"

"I told Dorcas that it was over."

"Why?"

"What!" Sirius sighed as he began to pull at his hair.

"Why did you tell her it was over? I thought she was 'a good shag.' "

"She was annoying me!"

"Serves you right."

"What!" Sirius yelled actually pulling hair out now.

"I said serves you right."

"And why is that."

"Because not twenty four hours after we shagged you shagged her." Amelia said with tears now falling down her face.

"But…you were angry at me and wouldn't talk to me."

"I wasn't angry," Amelia said as even more tears fell but Amelia didn't wipe them away, she just acted as if they were not there. "I didn't know what to think. You had lost your daughter and your wife, I thought I was some kind of fling and I really cared for you!"

"Amelia…"

"No let me finish," Amelia demanded. "By the time I had talked to Lily and she said that you truly cared about me and I was going to tell you my feelings you had already slept with Dorcas!" Now Amelia was wiping tears away, "So yes because I actually trusted you, you are the biggest mistake of my life!"

"Amelia…" But she had already apparated away.

* * *

"Ready to see your baby?" The Healer asked.

"Yes please," Lily said smiling from ear to ear.

"Okay, look at the screen please."

Lily and James looked up at the screen across from them and the Healer began to move his wand over Lily's belly.

"James," Lily gasped.

"I see, I see." He nodded.

Their unborn baby was in front of them on that screen, "Okay." The Healer spoke, "Nurse?"

A nurse walked in with a pointer and pointed to whatever the Healer was saying, "That is the baby's head."

"Wow," James gasped and Lily looked that she was so happy that she might cry.

"What's that?" Lily asked.

"The arm and that's it's feet," the Healer answered.

"What's that noise?" James asked.

"That is the baby's heartbeat."

"Wow," Lily and James said at the same time.

"You ready to find out the sex of your baby."

"Yes please," Lily said politely.

"Okay, Nurse." The nurse nodded and pointed, "That is…"

"It's a boy!" James yelled and Lily giggled, "The Marauder's will rise again!"

"I am glad that the two of you are happy with your son's sex, the nurse and I will leave the two of you alone."

As Lily got dressed James just kept saying over and over again, "A boy…wow…a boy."

"I know," Lily blinked.

"I can't believe he has developed that fast already."

"I know."

"You are happy, aren't you?" James asked looking at Lily oddly.

"Of course," Lily said turning back to James as she was know fully dressed. "I am just a bit sad."

"That we aren't having a girl?"

"No, I actually wanted a boy first. I am sad that our parents, Sarah, Cassidy, and Gabriella won't ever know our little boy."

"Me too," James said hugging his wife tightly. "It's okay though, they sent us this little miracle."

"You need to get back to work?"

"No, I took the day off."

"I told Molly that I would go see her and the new baby today."

"That's fine," James smiled. "Actually I would like to see the newest addition to the Weasley family."

"Good, let's go see her then."

* * *

"Lily and James!" Molly smiled, "How nice to see the two of you."

"Where is the baby now?" Lily whined.

"Behind you with Charlie," Arthur said behind them and Charlie was sitting on a loveseat holding baby Ronald.

"Did you want to hold him?" Charlie asked.

"Can I?" Lily asked Molly.

"Of course."

"Hang on," Arthur said walking across the room. "Let me get the baby from Charlie first."

Lily sat down next to Charlie and took the baby from Arthur, "He's so tiny."

"Are they all this tiny?" James asked as he sat down on the floor next to Lily and looked at the new baby.

"Bill's head was a bit bigger then that…"

"Mum!"

"Bill be quiet, grown ups are talking. Anyways, but yeah they are all about that small."

"So did the two of you find out what your baby is going to be?" Arthur asked.

"Yes we did," James said smiling from ear to ear. "In fact we just got out of Lily's appointment."

"So what is the sex?" Molly asked very excited.

"It's a boy!" Lily and James said at the same time.

"Oh congratulations!" Molly and Arthur said at the same time, but Ron began to wail

"Oh no," Lily gasped. "What did I do wrong?"

"Nothing," Arthur said walking across the room and taking Ron away from Lily and to his mother. "He just needs to be changed."

"How do you know that?" James asked.

"By their cries," Molly announced.

"I don't think I will ever get that down," Lily sighed.

"Yes you will," Molly nodded. "The both of you will, just takes a little bit of time."

"I will go change him in the lavatory," Arthur said walking with the baby out to the lavatory that was connected to Molly's room.

"Lily," James spoke up. "We should be going and it's getting close to seven."

"We agreed to have dinner with the gang, if you weren't in here we offer for you guys to come too." Lily spoke up.

"That's sweet dear, but you will find out that once you have children you can't really go out that much any more."

"We must have dinner all together at my house sometime after you get out."

"Defiantly."

* * *

"There they are," Sirius yelled and the rest of the gang looked up from the table. "About time, I thought you said to be here at seven. The rest of us have been waiting on the two of you for thirty minutes!" Alice kicked Sirius from under the table, "Ouch Longbottom!"

"Stuff it Black. Sit down Lily, James."

"Am I late?" Amelia asked from behind the couple.

"No we just got here too," Lily said honestly let's sit.

"You came?" Sirius asked being very surprised.

"I didn't come here for _you_, I came here for Alice and Lily."

"Oh."

"Nice one Padfoot," Peter snickered.

"Stuff it you," Sirius kicked Peter in the shin.

Lily, James, and Amelia slid into the booth that Remus, Sirius, Peter, Alice, and Frank were already sitting in. It was a big round booth.

"So congratulations Alice and Frank on your baby boy."

"Thanks Amelia," Alice smiled. "I can't wait to hold him."

"So what are you guys having?" Sirius belted out and Amelia rolled her eyes.

James looked at Lily and she nodded. "We are having a boy!" James announced and Lily had a motherly glow about her.

"The Marauders will rise again with the Longbottom and Potter baby!" Peter yelled.

"I think for once Peter said something that makes since," Sirius said looking stunned.

"Our babies will be best friends, just like us." Alice smiled.

"Yeah," Lily smiled. "My baby will be born a couple of weeks after yours."

"How is Molly doing?" Alice asked.

"What can I get you guys?" Madam Rosemerta asked, "Well I'll be…I haven't seen you kids in here since right after you guys graduated."

"We are celebrating," James said smiling from ear to ear.

"What are you celebrating?"

"We are having a baby boy," Alice spoke.

"Us too," Lily said rubbing her belly.

"Well congratulations. Sirius how old is that baby girl of yours now?"

Everyone's faces fell and the attention turned to Sirius.

"She died almost a year ago, thanks to my brother."

"Oh I am so sorry," Madam Rosemerta's eyes almost popped out of her head. "I give you my condolences, give them to your wife too."

"My wife died a few months later too."

"I think I will shut my mouth before I insult you any more. What can I get you guys."

Alice and Lily got water with lemon; James, Remus, Peter, Frank, and Amelia got butterbeer; and Sirius got two shots of Firewhiskey.

"Sirius…"

"I don't want to hear it Lils."

Everyone pretty much had a fun time, but everyone noticed that Sirius was oddly quiet but no one said anything about it.

Thirty minutes later Sirius stood up from the table as he was at the end, "I have got to go."

"Sirius…" Lily tried again, but he apparated out of the Three Broomsticks before anyone could say anything else.

"Where is he going to stay?" Amelia asked.

"Huh!" Alice blinked, was Amelia actually worried about Sirius?

"Sirius told me earlier today that Remus and his place was being fumigated."

"Yeah I brought fleas in," Remus blushed.

"When did you see Sirius?" James asked puzzled.

"I came by to see Lily earlier today and Sirius was crashed on the sofa and he told me about tonight and his flat."

"He was staying with us…" Lily nodded.

"But I don't know where he will be now," James honestly wondered out loud.

"I think I might have an idea," Amelia said before she too apparated out of the Three Broomsticks.


	25. The End of an Era

**Chapter 25**

"Sirius?" Amelia yelled as she pulled her coat closer to her body, "Sirius?"

He didn't answer and Amelia ran and ran through the graveyard until she found him kneeling in front of the two graves that Amelia knew he would be in front of.

"Are you okay?"

"What do you care?" Sirius snapped, "After all I am the biggest mistake of your life."

"Sirius…"

"Leave me alone as I come to visit my deceased wife and baby."

"Sirius we need to talk, I know they upset you…"

"I said leave me alone!" Sirius yelled turning around and Amelia saw only pain in his beautiful gray eyes.

"Come away it is freezing out here."

"I am all alone here and no one cares about me anymore. I have no purpose here without Cassidy and Aurora."

"Lily, James, Remus, Alice, and Frank all love you."

"They pity me."

"Sirius."

"I said go away!" He growled.

"You need to go home."

"I told you that I can't, Remus brought fleas into our flat."

"Then go back to wherever you are staying tonight."

"I can't."

"Why not? Lily and James love you."

"Just go away."

"Sirius," Amelia said putting her hand upon his shoulder but as he stood up and threw it off of his shoulder she looked hurt.

"I said go away!" He yelled.

"No."

"Why the hell not!"

"I love you Sirius."

"Oh sod off…wait…what!" Sirius's eyes bugged out at the end of Amelia's sentence.

Amelia's eyes got as big as Sirius's as she shook her head and ran off, "Nothing."

Sirius transformed into his dog form and ran after Amelia. Once he was in front of her he turned back into Sirius the man.

"How in Merlin's name?" Amelia asked as her eyes got huge.

"I heard you."

"You heard nothing," Amelia said shaking her head back and forth.

"You said that you love me."

"So what if I do! You are still in love with a dead woman, I have no chance with you Sirius Black."

Sirius grabbed Amelia's hand and they apparated away from the cemetery.

* * *

Order members were not so friendly with one another anymore with the threat of a spy around. In the next few months more and more Order members were killed, and Dorcas Meadows had been killed by Lord Voldemort himself.

Lily and Alice Flooed frequently over to Molly Weasley's home to not only visit Molly and the kids, but to also get some one on one time with a new born baby. Molly didn't mind the girls holding baby Ronald, feeding him, and even changing him. It gave Molly a little more time to spend on the other five boys. Bill and Charlie were in a home school for younger magical children being taught by the ministry. The ministry was really trying their best to save and educate the next generation of witches and wizards.

* * *

April, May, and June had flown by. Before Alice or Lily could believe it, well it was already mid July. Alice and Lily's stomachs and swollen up and you could defiantly see the babies now. Sometimes Alice and Lily would put their stomachs up to each other and Alice swore the babies were talking to one another.

Alice and Frank had already decided on a name that was okay, Lily still wouldn't name her son Neville. Neville was an old family name, in fact Frank's grandfather was named Neville.

"Neville Franklin Longbottom, you come out now!" Alice said yelling at her stomach which only made Lily and Amelia giggle at her.

"Go ahead and giggle you," Alice snarled at her best friend. "I can't wait to giggle at you in a months time when your baby refuses to come out."

"My godson is _so_ much better than your baby, in fact I bet that he comes early." Sirius said sticking his chest out in which Alice shoved it back in with her index finger which made Sirius cough really bad.

"Don't you talk about my baby like that!" Alice yelled.

"Do you think you should be yelling you might hurt the baby."

"Don't you….ouch!"

"Alice!" Frank said running over to Alice's side as they had all been in Lily and James's home in Godric Hollow. The ladies were in the living room on the sofa and the guys were on the loveseat and armchairs. "Are you okay? You know the doctor told you to take it easy, you don't want to hurt the baby. Did you have a contraction?"

"Yes I am okay, no I don't want to hurt the baby but he sure has hurt me a lot. In fact he has turned my perfect body into a shape I never thought I would see."

"Me too," Sirius piped.

Alice squinted at him and Sirius flew across the room and you heard a, "Ooof!"

"I told you not to mess with a pregnant woman," Amelia warned.

"No I didn't have a contraction, but I wish I would. You are already suppose to be out!" She yelled. "It is already July seventeenth and he was suppose to be born two days ago!"

"The doctor said this is very common for first births."

"Lily's sister had her first baby on time," Alice piped.

"Ugh," Sirius turned green which made all the guys excluding Frank to look ill. "Don't mention her reproducing."

"Please," James pleaded.

"Oh come one," Frank spoke up.

"No they are right," Lily gagged. "My sister is one of the ugliest women I have ever seen."

"Correction, the ugliest." Sirius piped up.

"Okay fine. Her husband is an uglier brute."

"The ugliest brute," James smiled

"We get the idea," Amelia said rolling her eyes.

* * *

July 30th, 1980

"Lily are you home?"

"She is upstairs cleaning," Amelia yelled from the kitchen.

Alice waddled into the kitchen and sat at the table, "What are you doing away from work? It has been so crazy lately that I am sure I am seeing less and less of Frank."

"It has been crazy, but I haven't been working that much lately. You know baby Susan was born a month ago and I have been helping out with Susan."

"Oh, so why are you here?"

"Sister-in-law told me I am helping too much and sent me out of the house for the day. I have only been working half days, which aren't so bad."

"You are seeing more of Sirius now aren't you?"

"I don't know what you are talking about," Amelia blushed.

"You were never a good liar."

"No she never has been," Remus said joining the women in the kitchen.

"How is the job search going?" Alice asked.

"As to be expected, lousy."

"Sorry," Alice gave a sad smile.

"It's fine," Remus shrugged.

"No it's not," Lily said now joining them all in the kitchen. "It is horrible how badly you are mistreated because of what you are."

"You get the same Lily as a Muggleborn," Remus pointed out.

"At least I can get a job if I wanted one, it's just not fair to you."

"Life isn't fair."

"Lily I think your table is leaking," Remus frowned. "My shoes are now wet."

"That is impossible."

"Ouch!" Alice screamed grasping her abdomen.

"No it's not," Amelia said turning around as her eyes got huge.

"Ouch, ouch, ouch!"

"Alice's water broke!"

"What!" Lily said jumping up to see her friend in total pain.

"Ew," Remus's nose turned up. "What is all that stuff?"

"You have got to help me get her to the hospital," Lily said turning to look Remus straight in the eye.

"I will go to the ministry and get Frank," Amelia apparated out of the flat.

Lily ran over and turned off the stove, then Lily and Remus helped Alice to the fireplace to get her to St. Mungo's.

Once they were there at the hospital and Alice was now lying in a bed, between contractions Alice sighed. "About bloody time! Took him fifteen days over his due date to come out!"

"Allie, Allie!" Frank yelled skidding into the room, "Oh Merlin!" He fell beside the bed, "I was afraid I would be too late."

"I have only been here for thirty minutes."

"Yeah it usually takes hours for babies to come," Lily pointed out.

"Thanks for reminding me **LILY!**" Alice yelled the last part because another contraction was coming.

"We will be waiting for you in the waiting room," Lily yelled through Alice's screams. Amelia and Remus followed behind Lily.

"You ready for that?" Remus asked.

"She was kind of scaring me."

"Could tell," Amelia nodded.

"James!" Lily's face lit up as she saw her husband sitting in the waiting room with Sirius and Peter. "What are you guys doing here?"

"We left with Frank."

"Doesn't the ministry need you?"

"Na," Sirius shrugged.

"Can we go for a walk?" Lily asked James.

"Sure," Sirius pitched.

"No the two of us," James said noticing the look in Lily's eyes.

"Fine," Sirius snapped.

"We can go to dinner," Amelia batted her eyes at her current boyfriend.

"What about me?" Peter piped up.

"We can go to a bar," Remus shrugged.

"Sounds good to me."

* * *

"Are you okay Lily?" James said looking at his wife with a very worried face, "You don't look like yourself."

Lily saw an unoccupied bench just feet away from them, "Can we sit? We have been walking for a while now."

"Sure," James nodded.

"I am scared."

"Of what?" James asked leaning down to kiss the top of her head as she had her head buried into his chest.

"Having the baby."

"Oh Lily," James pulled her head up with his index finger lightly to her chin. "You are going to be a fantastic mother."

"Molly said it is pretty easy to catch on and she would help me as both of our mother's are deceased and I refuse to go anywhere near Petunia."

"So what's the matter?"

"I saw the pain Alice was in."

"I'm sorry," James said pulling her as close as he could without squishing her belly. "What was that!" James asked pulling back and he looked at Lily's belly.

"He kicked my stomach again," she smiled.

"I want to see!"

"James," Lily giggled. "How many times have you see the baby kick?"

"I don't know," James shrugged. "It is so neat every time!"

"Fine," Lily sighed and she pulled her maternity shirt up a bit for James to see the baby's foot slide across her stomach."

"It's so weird to think he is really in there."

"I know," Lily said with an odd look upon her face. "I hope I will be a good enough mother for him."

"You will, and hopefully I can follow in your footsteps and be an average dad."

"You will be great! I am scared of all the pain with the baby, all that screaming Alice was doing scared the life out of me. They don't have epidurals here like at Muggle hospitals."

"What is that?"

"They have this big needle and they shoot it into your spinal cord to get rid of some of the pain during childbirth."

"Ek," James's eyes bugged out. "I hate needles, I pass out."

"I know," Lily giggled. "I remember when I still wanted to go to muggle doctors and I needed a shot."

"Don't remind me," James groaned.

"You passed out."

"I know, but they don't do that in our world."

"You mean I have to go through natural birth without any kind of pain medicine!"

"No your delivering healer can put numbing spells on you."

"Oh," Lily nodded her head. "So why didn't they do that with Alice?"

"When you got there with her a Healer hadn't been by to see her yet, but I am sure she has those numbing spells on her as we speak."

* * *

"James?" Lily asked hours later as they were getting ready for bed, "Maybe we should be at the hospital."

"Why? What's wrong with the baby?"

"Nothing," Lily said honestly. "Alice is having baby Neville, we should be there."

"She will most likely be tired and want some rest. After all she has been in labor for almost twelve hours."

"You think Frank will contact us?"

"No," James shook his head.

"Why not?"

"Because I told him not to, besides tomorrow I am off of work and we will go visit Alice, Frank, and baby Neville in the hospital."

"Oh."

"I was hoping that we could spend a night alone, after the baby comes we won't have too many full nights of sleep or together."

Lily smiled, "You are right but honestly I can't wait to see him."

"Me neither."

Then Lily began to cry uncontrollably."

"Lily?" James ran across the room and pulled his very pregnant wife into a tight hug and then he pulled back to look into those brilliant green pools that he loved so much. "What is wrong my love?"

"Us!"

"What?" James felt his heart starting to break, he knew being married to Lily was too much to be true. He had done something to anger her and she was ready to leave him. She would leave him with their son and he would never see him. "I understand."

"You do?" Lily looked somewhat relieved but James looked as though he would pass out. "So you agree that we need to figure out a name for our baby? We just call him our boy or our baby. I would like to have a name figured out before he joins us."

"Oh," James now looked relieved. "Yeah I agree."

"We were not talking about the same thing James, and I can tell."

"I thought you were trying to leave me and take our son with you."

"James," Lily sighed but she gave me a smile that made his heart flutter. Lily took James's hand and got him to sit on the bed with her. "Why would you think that?"

"Lily I know you can do so much better than me and I still sit and wonder what you really see in me. I thank Merlin everyday that you agreed to date me again and then accepted my marriage proposal."

"Because I love you and only because I love you James. You are my life and I love you. I love you and this baby," Lily said placing her hands with James on top of her abdomen. "**OUCH**!" Lily's eyes pulled shut tightly.

"Sorry!" James said jumping back and looked at her and then down at the bed. "Lily you peed all over the bed!"

"No I didn't James," Lily said through gritted teeth.

"Yeah you did, look Lily! You can't deny it!"

James was at his feet by now but Lily was still sitting on the bed but breathing very hard. "James."

"Can you get up so I can clean the bedding Lily?"

"It is not bloody pea you filthy toerag!"

James's eyes bugged out of his head, she had not spoken like that to him since they had been broken up their sixth year at Hogwarts until the very beginning of their seventh year. "Then what do you want me to believe it is?"

"It is my bloody mucus plug and water."

'You tell me to watch my mouth around the baby and that means you too missy! Also, what is a mucus plug and we can get you some more water."

"That," Lily said getting really angry with her husband. "Is what keeps the water in my stomach for the baby."

James frowned, but you could see that the wheels were turning. "That means…"

"That means the baby is coming you bloody idiot!"

"What!" James's eyes began to bug out of his head. "Not now!"

"Yes now!" Lily yelled through a contraction.

"But…but it is too soon!"

"Well the baby thinks right now is the perfect time!"

"What do we do?"

"What did you do to Lily now?" Sirius asked as he came strolling into the bedroom. "I could hear her yelling at you as soon as I apparated into the house.

"Baby…coming!" Lily grunted between her contractions.

"Oy!"

"Oy is right Padfoot, I don't know what to do!"

"Pack some clothes and hygienic things!"

"Okay!" James nodded.

Sirius sighed when he opened the suitcase, "Not for you!"

"**JAMES**!" Lily yelled as another contraction came.

"Well I don't want to leave her alone."

"Fine," Sirius sighed. "You have to pack some things for Lily also."

"Right!" James said as the thought had just struck him.

"Okay now give me the suitcases, you Floo to St. Mungo's with Lily. I will meet the two of you there. I will try to get a hold of Amelia, Remus, and Peter.

* * *

"Master," a Death Eater bowed to Lord Voldemort. "I come bearing news."

"What news Severus?"

A young Severus Snape looked around the circle. There were some faces here Severus knew he could trust, but there were also ones he was not so sure of. "Very important new master. Perhaps only the inner circle should know?"

"We are all trustworthy here Severus," Lucius Malfoy's voice boomed.

"He is suggesting that Pettigrew is not trustworthy master." Came Bellatrix's maniacal voice.

"Well he is still friends with Potter, Black, Longbottom, and Lupin." Snape pointed out.

"On my orders and you know that Severus," Lord Voldemort's voice threatened. "After all how do you think Gabriella Martinez, Cassidy Black, the Bones, the Prewetts, and the McKinnons were killed?"

"You killed the last three."

"That you are right about, but how do you think we got the information of where they were hiding Severus?"

"I honestly don't know master."

"This is for anyone else whom doubts Wormtail's loyalty. He killed Cassidy Black and Gabriella Martinez on my orders. Wormtail also found out the secret locations of the McKinnons and the Bones so that that I could kill them. Last and certainly not least Wormtail set up the Prewetts so that I could order five of my best Death Eaters to murder them. Any more doubts about Wormtail, Severus?"

"No sire."

"Anyone else have any doubts?" Voldemort asked in a threanting tone. No one answered and Voldemort went on, "Good." Then he turned back to Severus Snape, "Now Severus what is so important?"

"The prophecy…"

Everyone erupted in whispers and Voldemort's eyes bugged out a bit. Since he had first head about this prophecy he had been very obsessed with it. "What about it?"

"There were two women went into labor today at St. Mungo's, my source told me."

"And? Do you know how many women go into labor daily?"

"They both have fought and survived attacks against you three times with their husbands. One has already given birth to the babe, but the other just went into labor. I remind you that it is the end of the seventh month."

"Who?" Voldemort asked as his eyes narrowed.

"Alice Longbottom and Lily Potter."

Voldemort turned from Severus and back to Wormtail and smirked, "Well, well. You might be more of an asset to me than I thought."


	26. July 31st, 1980

**Chapter 26**

"Arrrghh!" Lily yelled as her contractions were getting closure and closure together. "I will kill you James Potter!"

James's eyes bugged out, "I thought you gave her numbing spells? Why does she want to kill me?"

The nurse chuckled, "A lot of women in labor say things they would not normally say while in labor."

"Oh, buy why? I though this was suppose to be a very special day?"

"Special day my arse!" Lily screamed after one of her contractions were done. "You try squeezing something the size of a watermelon out of a whole the size of a pea!"

Lily started to have another contraction and she had taken James's hand hostage.

"Ow!" James cried.

"Hello Mrs. Potter, The Healer said smiling from ear to ear. "How are you doing?"

"How the hell do you think I am doing?"

The Healer nodded, "As to be expected.

"Sir," James stepped up. "Sorry about her language…"

"Use to it by now, happens everyday."

"Shut your trap, _Potter_!" Lily snapped.

"Well let's see how much longer until you see your baby," the doctor said raising up the sheet. "Only five more centimeter's to go."

Lily's contraction had stopped and she quit screaming. "What!" She asked very surprised, "But I thought…"

"You will be here for a while, Mrs. Potter. I will come back later and check on you."

Lily sighed, "What time is it James?"

"Wow, after one."

"No way."

"Yes, guess it is a good thing that I packed myself a bag."

"You will stay, won't you?" Lily asked with hope in her eyes.

"Of course beautiful," James chuckled kissing the top of her sweaty head. "I am going to tell the others that it will be a while."

"Okay," Lily smiled. "Hurray back though."

* * *

"James!" Amelia yelled as she jumped out of her chair which made Sirius fall onto the floor.

"Oy! Wass a matter with you…hey Prongs! Is baby Prongs with you?"

"Do you see a baby Padfoot?" Remus asked looking at his friend oddly.

"Hey where is Wormtail?" James asked noticing on e of their friends were missing.

"Couldn't get a hold of him," Sirius answered.

"His mum had no idea where he was," Remus said shrugging his shoulders.

"It is going to be a while, Lily is only five centimeters dilated." James told his friends.

"That's not bad," Amelia spoke up. "You are half way there and you guys have only been here three hours."

"When we got here she was already four centimeters dilated."

"Oh," Amelia's face fell.

"I will let you guys know when she is closer, but they think it will me a while."

"That is fine, we will come back tomorrow." Amelia said grabbing Sirius and Remus's arms as to leave.

"Sleepover at my house!" Sirius yelled.

* * *

"Merlin Amelia, what have we got ourselves into having a sleepover at Sirius's house?"

"I have no idea," Amelia said honestly.

"PILLOW FIGHT!" Sirius yelled as he came in with a pillow in each hand and began to beat Remus and Amelia upside the head.

"Sirius stop it!" Amelia screeched. "Stop it!"

* * *

The next morning, Frank Longbottom spotted three of his very close friends walk into the main doors of St. Mungo's.

"Sirius, Amelia, Remus! How nice of you guys to come and visit Alice and Neville so early this morning, it isn't even nine yet."

Sirius frowned, "You didn't hear?"

"Huh?"

Amelia rolled her eyes, "Of course we came to see Alice and Neville. I am guessing you didn't hear…"

"Hear what?" Frank asked completely dumbfounded.

"Lily went into labor last night."

"What!" Frank's eyes bugged out, "James didn't…"

"I am guessing she is still in labor."

"Oh."

"James said he would contact us as soon as she was about to give birth," Remus spoke up. "Or if we were too late then after the baby was born. We came up here to see if she had given birth yet."

"Obviously she hasn't yet," Sirius pointed out.

"You're right," Amelia nodded. "Is Alice up?"

"She fell asleep about thirty minutes ago, Neville didn't sleep well last night. So in other words none of us really got any sleep. In fact Alice was sending me home to get a few hours of shut eye, then I am bring my mother up here."

"We will stop in to see you guys later on then," Remus offered.

"If you want I can show you him through the nursery window."

"That would be wonderful, where is…"

* * *

Meanwhile...

"Mrs. Potter, the baby's head is crowning." The Healer spoke.

"What does that mean?" James frowned looking from Lily to the Healer to the nurse.

"The baby is coming," the nurse spoke.

"Lily I need you to push," the doctor spoke.

"No," Lily moaned. "I am too tired, hell I have been in labor for ten hours!"

"The baby will die if you don't push."

James turned to Lily, "Love you need to push."

"I'm tired!" Lily whined.

"I know," James said kissing the top of her sweaty head. "Don't you want to see your baby?"

Lily bit her bottom lip and nodded her head.

"You have to push so we can see your beautiful baby boy, but if you don't then our baby will die."

Lily nodded, knowing what she needed to do. "Okay."

Lily began to push and scream at the same time. When doing this she was squeezing James's already sore hand even harder then she had all night. In which James was screaming with his wife.

Lily sighed and threw herself back into the many pillows behind her.

"Good Lily," the Healer said looking up at her. "Just one last good push."

"I can't, I can't." Lily began to cry as a nurse was wiping Lily's forehead with a cold rag.

"Please Lily," James turned to see a very tired Lily. "For the baby."

"Okay," Lily nodded. "Okay, for the baby."

Lily screamed, James screamed because of the pain in his hand, and then what happened next surprised them all.

There was a little scream that they had never heard before and a cry.

The Healer looked up at the both of them and smiled, "A very healthy baby boy."

"Even for being almost three weeks premature?" Lily asked a bit worried.

"Yes."

"I want to hold him."

"Just a moment," the Healer said handing the baby off to the nurse. "She is going to clean him up and make sure everything is okay and he is fully developed. Then he will be all yours."

Just like the Healer promised Lily, the nurse came back with a bundle wrapped in baby blue. "Here is your bouncing baby boy," she said over his cries.

As soon as he was in his mother's arms, his cries died. Lily pulled back the blanket over his face and both new mummy and daddy gasped. He looked just like James. A head full of black hair.

"Poor kid looks just like me," James chuckled. Then he leaned down and kissed Lily, there was a love there for her that he had never felt before. He had loved Lily more than anything in the world, and now he held that love for two people. Lily had given him their beautiful son.

"He's beautiful," Lily said with tears in her eyes.

Just then the little baby opened his eyes and the new mummy and daddy gasped again.

"Merlin, Lily!" James gasped, "He has your eyes."

Lily felt her heart swell up even larger than it had when she first looked down at him. As handsome as his father, but he shared his mother's eyes.

"What should we name him?" James asked, "We still hadn't figured it out."

"I know," Lily said looking up from her son for the first time since he had been placed in her arms. Lily looked James straight in the eyes, "Harry."

James's throat got dry, "Are you sure?"

"Of course," Lily smiled. "Your father was a great wizard, but most of all he was a great father and husband. Besides he looks just like your father and you."

"Why not Blake?"

Lily shook her head, "He doesn't look like a Blake. Don't you think Harry suits him?"

James looked back down at his son and smiled, "Your right. Harry does suit him. Then James leaned down and kissed her lips, then rested his forehead against hers. "Thank you."

"For?"

"Giving me our beautiful son, and naming him after my father."

Baby Harry began to cry and young mummy and daddy were clueless as what to do.

"He is probably hungry," the last nurse in the room said before leaving the new family alone together.

"Of course," Lily smiled and pulled her hospital gown down just enough to feed her newborn.

"You are beautiful, you know that right?" James asked looking in awe at his beautiful wife and new baby.

"Once I am done feeding him, why don't you contact the others?"

"I'll do go do that now."

Lily nodded, "By the time you get back we will be done."

"I love you Lily Potter."

"I love you too James."

James leaned down to kiss his infant son, "I love you Harry…"

"Harry James Potter," Lily said smiling and taking in the glow of motherhood.

* * *

James ran out into the waiting room, getting ready to Floo to Sirius's house which he figured he would get a hold of Sirius and Remus. Then they could get a hold of Amelia and Peter. So James was really surprised to see Sirius, Remus, and Amelia in the waiting room.

"Guys?" James asked.

"James!" Amelia said jumping up which made a napping Sirius, whom had been sleeping in her lap fall to the ground.

"Amy!" Sirius growled, but then he looked up. "Prongsie! Baby?"

James smiled from ear to ear and Remus walked over to get in the conversation with all of his friends, "He's here."

"Yay!" Amelia said smiling from ear to ear.

Sirius began to dance around.

"What did you name him?" Amelia asked.

"Oh no," Sirius's eyes bugged out. "You guys didn't have a name picked out yet."

"You didn't?" Remus asked.

"We didn't," James said shaking his head. "But when Lily held him in her arms a name just came to her and then his entire name came to us."

"So what did you name him?" Remus asked.

"Harry James Potter," James said with a fatherly-glow.

"Beautiful," Amelia smiled.

"Dad would be proud," Sirius said speaking of Harold Potter. "You are so cocky, gave that poor kid your name as a middle name."

"That was actually Lily's idea."

"I want to see him!" Amelia demanded.

"Okay," James nodded. "Follow me," all three friends followed.

"James!" Someone yelled from way behind them.

James, Amelia, Sirius, and Remus all turned around to see none other than Peter Pettigrew.

"Where have you been?" Sirius asked, "I tried to get a hold of you all night! Lily went into labor!"

"I just got your message from mother," Peter said honestly but he had actually found out about Lily going into labor from Lord Voldemort the night before. "She hasn't had him yet?" Peter asked crossing his fingers that James's child with that Mudblood would be born August first, and the Dark Lord would not find the child a threat. As much as Peter hated Lily, he did truly still see James as a brother.

"She gave birth about five minutes ago," James said going to hug his friend.

Peter's stomach dropped. "Congrats," Peter lied. He honestly wanted the Potter baby to not be born until the next day, he didn't really give a damn about the Longbottom baby because he truly never really cared for Alice nor Frank. Peter pulled back and he had already felt all the color leave his face, lucky for him no one noticed because he was already so pale. "What did you guys name him?"

"Harry James Potter," James beamed.

"Your dad would be proud, great names James."

"I figured he would, but the name was all Lily's idea."

"Well I should be going…"

"Course not," James said throwing his arm around Peter's shoulders. "I was just bringing the others to Lily and Harry's room. I want you to see my son."

"Of course," Peter nodded as he was sweating bullets.

* * *

"Lily!" Amelia said running in and saw the little blue bundle in her arms.

"Hi," Lily said very sleepy.

"Tired?"

"You bet," she chuckled. "It all goes away when I look at him," Lily said turning her attention back to her newborn son.

"Can I hold him?"

"No me first!" Sirius said running across the room and getting in between the two women.

"Ever heard of ladies first?"

"So," Sirius shrugged. "Godfather coming through! I get first dibs!"

"Fine," Amelia laughed at his baby face.

"Can I Lil?"

"Of course," Lily smiled as she went to hand Harry over. "Support his head."

"I know," Sirius rolled his eyes. "I was almost a father, after all." Sirius looked down at the sleeping baby, "Hey little man! You are going to have the Marauder name live on and I shall call you baby Prongs!"

"Oh boy," Lily said rolling her eyes.

"Give me Harry, now!" Amelia demanded.

"Fine," Sirius stuck his tongue out maturely at his girlfriend. "I am his Godfather so I get to hold him anytime I want."

"You would think the two of you are three year olds," Remus laughed.

"Perfect for each other," James smiled. "Don't you think Pete?"

"Yeah," Peter gagged.

"He's so tiny, smaller than Susan." Amelia said holding the little baby.

"He was three weeks early," Lily pointed out. "The Healer gave him a clean bill of health, he just wanted to meet his Mummy and Daddy early. He couldn't wait to see us and honestly I could wait any longer to meet him."

"Me neither," James said sitting in the chair next to his wife's hospital bed.

Baby Harry sighed in his sleep and his eyes just fluttered a bit, "Lily!" Amelia gasped, and then she looked up at her good friend. "He has your eyes."

"I know," Lily said smiling from ear to ear. "I love James's eyes, but I was really hoping that he would get mine. It's a family trait, but not many of my relatives really had it. I did, Mum and Grandma Rose."

"Looks just like James though," Remus said looking over Amelia's shoulder at the newborn.

"Poor kid," Peter chuckled.

"Whatever," James rolled his eyes.

"He's beautiful," Lily smiled.

"Thank you love."

"I was talking about the baby."

"Oh."

"Here Lily," Amelia said going to give baby Harry back to his mother.

"Do you want to hold him?" Lily asked Peter.

"No, babies don't like me."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes," Peter said aloud but in his head he was really saying. '_I am not touching that nasty halfblood!_' "I have to get going anyways."

"Already?"

"Yeah, Mum needed me at the house." Peter lied again.

"Okay," James said going to hug his very close friend. "Come stop by and see us sometime, hell seems like the only time we see you is at the Order meetings."

"Okay," Peter said before he left.

"Would you like to hold Harry, Remus?"

"You sure?"

"Of course," Lily smiled at her old friend.

"He has been a bit weird lately, hasn't he?" Amelia frowned sitting across the room at the little dining room table that was also in Lily and Harry's hospital room.

"Now that you mention it," James nodded. "Peter isn't around nearly as much as he use to be."

"Yeah," Sirius nodded. "You know how Peter is about bullies though, hell if you and Remus hadn't felt sorry for him our first year at Hogwarts he would have never been a Marauder. He was never really Marauder material."

"Really?" Amelia asked, "I always actually wondered that in school."

"So what does us taking him in our first year at Hogwarts have anything to do with Peter never being around?" Remus asked holding baby Harry.

"I think he is afraid of the spy." Sirius spoke up.

"It can't be one of us," Lily pointed out. "We have all been close and none of us would turn our backs on one another."

* * *

There was a knock at Lily's hospital room door that awoke her, "Come in."

Alice's wheelchair rolled her in with a little blue bundle wrapped in her arms, "Were you sleeping?" Alice asked once the door was closed and she was side by side with her best friend.

"Yes," Lily yawned. "Harry didn't sleep very well."

"Oh I'm sorry, I could come back…"

"No," Lily waved off.

"Where's the baby?"

"The nurse took him a little earlier, she should be back with him soon. She had said she wanted me to get some sleep, for some reason he just isn't sleeping at all. I mean I know infants wake up at all hours of the night."

"Sorry."

"Quit saying you are sorry," Lily waved off. "I have been napping about three hours anyways and I really want her to bring him back now. You know he's been with me for eight months and it's weird not to have him right here with me right now."

There was another knock at the door and Lily yelled to the person to come in.

"Hello Mrs. Potter, how are you feeling?" A nurse said walking into the room with a little blue bundle in her arms.

"A lot better, thank you."

"It's no problem and here is little Harry."

Lily took her newborn back in her arms and she felt a warmth rush over her. The nurse left the two new mothers alone.

"Harry?" Alice asked with a smile upon her face.

"Yeah," Lily said smiling from ear to ear but not looking up from her little boy's face. "It just seemed to fit."

"Is it a nickname?"

"No," Lily shook her head. "Harry James Potter."

"You named him after Harold, didn't you?" Alice asked.

Lily looked up and shook her head, "I knew how much Harold meant to James and when I looked down at Harry…well the name just hit me."

"I like it," Alice smiled.

"You named him?"

"We stuck with Neville, I like it. Frank liked it, actually it was the only name we agreed on. Neville Franklin Longbottom."

Alice got out of her wheelchair and climbed in bed with Lily and they switched babies, "He is beautiful Lily."

"So is Neville, my goodness he looks just like you."

"Harry looks like James," Harry awoke from his short slumber and looked up at Alice in which she gasped. "Lily!" Alice turned her head from the newborn to her best friend, "He has your beautiful eyes!"

"I know," Lily blushed. "I was really hoping he would and I see Neville has your eyes too."

"It seems so perfect, our babies will grow up together and be best friends!"

"I know," Lily nodded smiling from ear to ear.

"Our babies are so beautiful," Alice said as they switched back. "I still can't get over Harry."

Lily smiled, "Looks just like his father but he has his mother's eyes."


	27. Aunt Evelyn

**Chapter 27**

Lily was so happy to be home and out of her hospital room. Lily was much more happy now then before she went to the hospital. James and Lily left the house, but when they came back they had baby Harry with them.

Lily's last Healer class had ended the month before and she wouldn't be going back during the fall. Lily had decided to take a year or so off so she could take care of their new baby, and they might want to have another baby in another year or so.

The nursery had been finished two months ago, and Lily smiled when she brought the baby in there with her. Rocking him back and forth in the rocking chair really brought the term motherhood to life.

The next morning when Lily woke up, James had already left for work and she saw Harry was finally sleeping. It had been a difficult night last night and Harry didn't like sleeping during the night, but he liked sleeping through out the day. Which had messed up Lily's sleeping habits and James tried to help Lily out. Finally Lily told James to go to sleep and she would stay up with Harry.

* * *

"Mrs. Potter," the Healer said as he walked in for Harry's first Healer appointment. The Healer would also be checking on how Lily was doing. "You look exhausted."

"The new mother charm," Lily smiled.

"You look like you haven't slept a peep since you gave birth to Harry?"

Tears began to fall down Lily's face, "He wants to sleep all day and stay up all night. I don't know what to do."

"You need at least eight hours of sleep Lily and whenever you get Harry to nap, you need to nap with him. That is until you can control his sleeping cycle to a normal cycle."

"Okay," Lily said smiling.

"Could I see little Harry real quick?"

Lily nodded, but the Healer could tell that she was a bit nervous.

* * *

"How was the appointment?" A voice asked from the couch as Lily had Flooed home with the new baby.

"You are home early, aren't you?" Lily said joining her husband on the couch.

"Do you want me to go back to work?" James asked taking Harry from her arms.

"Merlin, no. Now you can watch Harry while I take a nap."

"Aw," James said crestfallen. "I was hoping this could be family time."

"Sure," Lily shrugged. "Rock Harry to sleep and we can all sleep as a family."

Baby Harry was a bit confused as he looked up, he had been transferred from the warm, cuddle, nurturing red blur. Now he was being held by the loud, itchy, hairy black blur. Harry wanted to be cradled again and he cried out.

"Aw!" James yelled a bit scared.

"Don't yell at him James!" Lily said taking the baby out of his arms and cuddling the newborn again.

"I didn't mean to, he scared me."

"You probably scared him trying to kiss on him, you probably scratched him with your beard."

"What are you hinting at?" James asked.

"Shave."

* * *

Every time Sirius stopped by he has yet another present for Harry. As much as Sirius stopped by, it was really starting to worry Lily about how much stuff Harry would actually have.

Alice and Neville stopped by frequently. Harry and Neville took their naps together and while the newborns were napping, Alice and Lily could have time alone together.

"James is driving me insane," Lily sighed as she brought some hot tea into the living room as the babies were just feet away from them in the playpen.

"Oh no, what now?"

"I want to go get a family picture and he keeps telling me it's too soon, that we should wait until Harry is a bit older. I just want one so bad and Mum use to make us all go take a family picture every year around Christmas."

"Then maybe you should wait until Christmas?" Alice suggested shrugging her shoulders, "That way it is a family past time, and James can't argue with that."

"True," Lily nodded.

"Harry will be a little older too, so that way you both win."

"I guess," Lily sighed. "I just want some pictures taken of my beautiful baby boy."

"What are you talking about?" Alice laughed, "You have taken double the pictures of Harry than I have taken of Neville."

Lily blushed, "I know. I just can't get over how beautiful he is and I just want to show him when he is older how much we truly love and loved him."

"He will know, I promise." Then an idea struck Alice, "You can always go get professional pictures done of Harry now if you like."

"That's a wonderful idea! I didn't even think about that."

"Well there you go."

* * *

Peter didn't go around the Potters much anymore, he didn't see the point anymore. They would all be dead soon anyways. The Potters, Longbottoms, Black, Bones, and Lupin. They were Dumbledore's favorites and they refused to move over to the dark side. They would all be a great asset to Voldemort's inner circle, but either way Lily Potter was screwed. Lord Voldemort would never let a filthy Mudblood join him.

Peter was now waiting for Lord Voldemort to see him, and he had an idea as to what. Bellatrix hadn't been too happy with Peter lately and he had no idea how to make her happy. To think that he how things had been so different just a couple of years ago and how Peter wished he could go back. Go back before James Potter fell deeply in love with that nasty Mudblood, because as soon as James fell in love with her then all of her friends came too. Sirius fell in love with Cassidy and they both denied it for years. Remus chased after Gabriella for years just like James had chased after Lily. Finally both of those horrible women realized how wonderful his best friends, his brothers were. Then they manipulated them into loving them even more, even into marriage and now a filthy halfblood baby.

"Wormtail!" Peter heard Lord Voldemort yell from the room down the hall.

Peter ran into the room and fell to the floor bowing over and over again, "Enough you filthy mongrel!"

"S…so…sorry master, you a…asked for m…m…me?"

"Yes, of course I did. The Longbottoms and Potters have had their little bastards and have you found out which child the prophecy talks about?"

Peter frowned, he didn't understand. "No," Peter shook his head. "I figured you would want me as far away from those blood traitors as possible."

"Idiot!" Voldemort screamed, "Did you not hear what the prophecy stated?"

Peter's eyes bugged out, "I…I remember what it said, but do you honestly think that a baby could bring you harm? The greatest Dark Wizard since Salazar Slytherin, himself?"

"That seer said it herself."

"We don't know if she is a true seer, master."

Voldemort waved his wand and Peter began to scream in agony.

"Now!" Voldemort yelled, "You will go around the Potters and Longbottoms and report back to me in a months time to revel which one you think has more potential to destroy me."

"Don't you think we should wait until the children are older, what if you make the wrong decision master?"

"I won't make the wrong decision," Voldemort flicked his wand again to have Wormtail go through excoriating pain again. "Because you will know in a months time which of the children I need to destroy!"

The curse was taken off and Wormtail stuttered, "Y…yes m…m…master."

* * *

Once Lily was finally getting the hang of Harry's abnormal sleeping habit, she got a total shock of news. Lily got a letter through the mail, the Muggle way.

"Lily?" James walked into the kitchen after answering the front door.

"Who was that this early in the morning?" Lily asked as she fed Harry his breakfast bottle.

"Some man in a weird blue uniform…"

"Oh," Lily frowned. "I figured Sirius was trying to be funny by ringing the doorbell as he always shows up unexpected."

"Me too," James agreed.

"Do you know anyone who wears a blue uniform?"

"No, but do you Lily?"

"What?" Lily asked looking up from her one-month-old son.

"He had this for you," James said handing Lily a letter. Her name was on it with something on it she hadn't seen in a few years."

"What?"

"Stamps."

"Is that his name?"

"No," Lily began to laugh. "Do you see the stickers on it?"

"Yeah."

"Muggles put them on their mail to be sent out. The man that delivered it is the Muggle postman for our neighborhood."

"Oh," James began to laugh with Lily now. "Who would send you post the Muggle way? Hopefully not your horrible sister."

"I honestly doubt that Petunia would send me mail, now let me read it and we will know the mystery of it all." Lily took the letter from James and when she was finished she looked up at James in shock.

"What's the matter?"

"The letter is from my Aunt Evelyn's lawyer."

"Didn't I meet her once?"

"Yes," Lily nodded. "At my Grandma Rose's funeral, she has been sick for years. Actually her doctors, Muggle Healers, suggested that she not fly here but she insisted. Said she could not miss her mother's funeral, had to say goodbye. She was much too sick to come to our Wedding."

"So why is her lawyer contacting us now?"

"She died a couple of days ago."

"What?" James asked obviously not expecting this answer.

"It says she left us something and that I need to attend the funeral."

"That's fine, we will go. I know she is or was the only family you had contact with since your parents died."

"It's not that James, she was the last relative that I have."

"Not counting Petunia."

"_Never_ count Petunia," Lily rolled her eyes. "We need to go to America."

"Why?"

Lily began to burp Harry by patting on the small of his back, "That is where she lived James."

James's eyes lit up, "Can we go on an Aero-o-plane?"

Lily bit her lip and nodded, "I really don't want to Floo that much. You know especially with Harry, it always makes him so sick."

"Alright," James smiled from ear to ear, looking just like a kid in the candy store that just got exactly what he wanted.

"One condition."

"Okay?"

"You can not complain about how slow the plane ride is, only how small the loo is and how gross the food is."

"Okay," James shrugged.

"No magic."

"I know."

"I guess today while you are at work, Harry and I will run to Gringotts and get some money changed into Muggle money and then we will go buy the tickets."

"Don't you have to Floo there?"

"Yes," Lily sighed. "I packed Harry an extra burping rag and an extra outfit, he always gets so sick."

"See if you Alice will go with you."

"Why?"

"It is really dangerous out there and I will be really worried about you and Harry."

"Fine," Lily rolled her eyes. "The only reasons I am agreeing to this is because I have not seen Alice in days."

* * *

"He does have a point Lily," Alice pointed out once Lily had ranted to her about why Alice had to come with her to Diagon Alley.

"What!"

"Those guys have been called out on a lot more missions then ever before and You-Know-Who and the Death Eaters seem to be killing almost every night now. Hell I would have begged to come with you, haven't seen you in ages."

Soon Alice, Neville, Lily, and Harry had Flooed to the Leaky Cauldron. They would usually sit for a bit and get a butterbeer or two, but these were uncertain times and you didn't want to stay out too long."

Lily and Alice pulled out mini strollers from their pockets and get them back to normal size so their babies could ride along and take their daily naps.

Lily and Alice rushed to Gringotts and once they were out Lily confessed something.

"We what!" Alice's eyes bugged out.

"We need to stop by Muggle London, but just for a bit."

"Lily, I don't know." Alice began to fidget as she looked down at baby Neville. "There have been so many Muggle attacks."

"I have to buy our plane tickets and I need a new black dress."

"Why don't you wear the one at your house?"

"It fit me before I got pregnant."

"Oh," realization hit Alice. "Fine, but only thirty minutes."

"Deal."

* * *

"You sure I don't look fat in this?" Lily asked scrunching her nose up at her reflection in the mirror.

"No you don't Lily, hell you have lost more weight than I have. Now go try on that dress you have had your eye on, I don't feel comfortable here."

"We will be fine," Lily said looking at herself over and over again in the mirror. "The attacks have only been at night, never during the day, I promise we will be fine."

"It's a good thing we already went and bought those tickets." Alice said looking out of the window every few seconds.

"I think I'll buy the first one I tried on."

"Okay, so change and let's get out of here."

Lily walked back into the dressing room and then there was a big explosion and Lily Potter fell limply to the ground.

* * *

"Damn it!" Sirius threw his fist down on the cafeteria table, "That damn alarm is going off again!"

"Merlin forbid us go out and save lives if it comes between Sirius and his appetite," Amelia said sarcastically as she rolled her eyes at her boyfriend.

"Shove off," Sirius stuffed his face.

"What are you doing!" Amelia's eyes bugged out, "Get your lazy arse up and go follow Frank and James. There's another attack!"

"I know there is, I hear the bloody alarm!"

"Come on," James said pulling Sirius out of his seat. "We have a job to do."

"Yeah, yeah."

* * *

Peter smiled under his black cloak and Death Eater mask. This should kill both of the women and their children. This way the Dark Lord would never have to be threatened about which baby would be the downfall of him. This way Alice and Lily were out of the Marauder's lives forever. Next he just needed to get rid of Frank too, Frank was not a true Marauder. Lily was just a nasty Mudblood that had ruined the Potter bloodline. The Potter bloodline was now ruined forever.

Mudblood Evans had given birth to that filthy halfblood. A halfblood that had been threatening his master's life since the existence of this little baby's life. Longbottom's baby also had his name down as 'the miracle baby.' Peter had no idea which baby it was, but why not take out two owls with one stone?

Peter began to hear a familiar popping noise over and over again. He knew that the Aurors were arriving now. Peter disapparated just before Sirius Black threw up a spell to stop anyone from doing what Peter had just performed.

"These Muggle attacks are really starting to get out of hand," Sirius said standing guard and looking for any Death Eaters.

"They have always been out of hand," Frank commented. "They should have never started in the first place.

"You know Voldemort, got to purify the world of all of those unworthy." James spat sarcastically.

"Over here!" Kingsley yelled to them.

"Merlin," all three men gasped when they saw the extent of the wreckage.

"I will be surprised if there is a soul alive," Sirius whispered.

Then they all heard a soft cry, and it began to get louder and louder. A cry that brought chills to all of their bones.

"Merlin that's a baby," Frank gasped.

"Where's the mother?" Sirius asked as fear crept up into his eyes, "Hopefully not dead?"

The cry got louder and everyone of the men froze, "That's my son!" James screamed as he went completely pale all over.

James began to yell it over and over again as he ran down the street and to the rubble that was a clothing store only thirty minutes ago. Some of his fellow Aurors were trying to hold him back but James just ran over them.

Obviously Lily had been shopping with her newborn baby and Alice had been with them when James left. Was Lily there with Harry? Was Alice and Neville in there with Lily and Harry? Was Harry the only one still alive?

"You don't think Alice and Neville are in there too, do you?" Frank asked and James heard the same fear in Frank's voice that James was feeling.

James didn't answer Frank as he ran towards the wreckage and Frank was right on his heels.

"Potter, Longbottom." Mad Eye Moody said placing his hand in front of the two of them, "You need to go home."

"I want to see my son, I hear him! My wife has to be in there with him!" James yelled trying to get through.

"My wife and son were with Potter's wife and son, I want to know if they are in there!" Frank yelled.

"We have gotten a few people in there and they got the shopkeeper out. She remembered seeing two women who fit the description of both of your wives and they both had babies with them. She didn't get a close look to see what the babies looked like and the storekeeper also didn't know what sex the babies were."

"Let us in there, we will find our wives!" James said running forward and Moody pulled him back.

"I am sorry Potter, but I can not let you go in there."

"I'll go then!" Frank stepped forward.

"I can't let neither one of you in there."

"Why the bloody hell not?" James yelled.

"The two of you are too involved."

"I don't give a damn!" James yelled, "My wife and only son is in there! I want to make sure they are alright! No one will look as hard for them as I will."

"I promise you all of the men are looking high and low for both of your wives and both of your sons."

"You will not keep me from searching," Frank growled.

"Moody," Sirius sighed as he finally caught up with James and Frank. "I know and you know that there is no way in hell that you are keeping James and Frank away from that search."

"Fine," Moody snapped but he was not happy with his decision.

* * *

"Lily!"

"Alice!"

"Lily!"

"Alice!"

James, Frank, Sirius, Moody, and the many other Aurors were searching through all of the rubbish.

"**_LILY_**!" James screamed at the top of his lungs.

"**_ALICE_**!" Frank yelled in desperation.

There was a cry near them and everyone's adrenaline began to race, "That's a baby." Frank said, it wasn't a question. "That's Neville's cry."

Everyone turned to look at James and James nodded, "It has to be because that's not Harry."

Everyone began to move all the rubbish around to try and find Neville and hope to Merlin that Alice was as much alive as Neville was. As they all began to dig, they also hoped that Harry would cling on to life and hopefully Lily was near Harry and still alive.

The cry got louder and the next moment Frank bent down and picked his son up. Crying his eyes out as he kissed Neville's head over and over again, "Where's Alice?" Frank said looking around.

"I see a woman's shoe," a rookie spoke up.

"Move that beam!" Moody ordered.

Soon Alice was freed from the large beam that had been crushed upon her, "Is she breathing?" Frank yelled as a Healer checked her vital signs.

"Yes," the Healer turned around. "She is unconscious and probably has a concussion." The Healer flicked his wand and had Alice floating up to a stretcher and put into a magical ambulance. Frank and Neville went with Alice to the hospital and Frank would get Neville checked once they got to St. Mungo's.

Before Frank left with Neville and Alice, he wished James luck in finding Harry and Lily. James just hoped that Frank's wishes wouldn't go unanswered.

There was another cry an hour later and James froze.

"Is that him?" Moody growled.

James nodded as his eyes got wide, "That's Harry."

"This way!" Sirius yelled as he got closer and closer to the cry.

James got the spot that he could hear Harry the loudest and he was very upset. James began to dig like a mad man and finally, there was Harry. There was a very pale arm laying over him and Sirius took Harry from James's arms as James continued to dig for Lily.

"She's bleeding!" James screamed.

"Don't move her!" The Healer ran over.

"Is that much blood suppose to come out of her head," James gasped as tears began to fill in his eyes.

"No," the Healer began to dig through his bag to try and stop the bleeding. There were cuts all over her face and it looked as if she had a broken wrist and maybe a broken ankle too.

"Well stop it!"

"I am trying Mr. Potter."

"James take Harry," Sirius said trying to calm both Harry and James down.

"What? What about Lily?"

"The Healer is taking care of her, but your son needs you."

James nodded and took Harry as the baby just would not quit screaming.

"At least we know his lungs aren't injured," Sirius yelled holding his ears.

"Not funny Padfoot," James was patting Harry on the small of his back trying to calm his young son down. At the same time James was looking down at his frail wife and just praying that she would be okay. Lily couldn't leave James here alone, what would happen to Harry?

"Mr. Potter?" The Healer spoke up after some time, "I stopped the bleeding for now. She has lost a lot of blood, she needs to go to St. Mungo's." James nodded and the Healer waved his wand and Lily too was on a stretcher going to the magical ambulance on her way to St. Mungo's. James and Harry were riding along, and James would also get Harry checked out.

James just prayed with every inch of his soul that Lily and Harry would be alright.


	28. Goodbye Aunt Evelyn

**Chapter 28**

Two days later, Lily Potter groaned as she opened her eyes. "James close the blinds."

"Lily!" James jumped up out of a daydream in the seat next to her hospital bed. "Lily, are you really awake!"

"Shh!" Lily groaned, "I am tired and Harry is actually asleep."

"Lily, you are in the hospital."

"What!" Lily opened her eyes and jumped up, but then groaned because jumping hurt. "Why? Wait…" Lily looked around the room, "Where is Harry!"

"Shh!" James said trying to calm his wife down, "If you get all upset the nurse will make me leave."

"James, you better tell me where the hell my son is."

'With Sirius…"

"Oh thank Merlin, wait…what happened?"

"You don't remember?"

"No."

"Lily there was an explosion in Muggle London…"

Lily's eyes got wide, "Oh Merlin I remember now! I was looking for a black dress for the funeral. Oh no! The funeral."

"Tomorrow."

"Oh."

"We are Flooing tonight, it's the only way we will make it in time."

Lily nodded, "Harry won't be too happy with us. Oh Merlin, how is my baby?"

"He's fine."

"James…"

"I swear it."

"How long have I been out?"

"Two days."

"How is Alice and Neville?"

"Neville only got a bump on his head, but they moved Alice back to critical condition today. Still unconscious."

"It's all my fault!" Lily cried.

"We're back!" Sirius boomed as he worked in with Baby Harry.

"My baby," Lily yelled as she threw her arms out for one-month-old baby.

"Lily!" Sirius screamed like a little girl, surprised to see the redhead awake but defiantly happy. Harry began to cry from all the loud noises around him, in fact James and Sirius had not been able to calm him down since Lily had been out. The only time Harry would fall asleep is after crying himself out and James was feeling like a horrible father from not knowing how to calm his own son down.

"Give me, give me, give me!"

"Okay," Sirius chuckled as he handed the infant to his mother and as soon as Harry was handed back to his mother the crying stopped.

"Wow," Sirius shook his head. "I don't think I will ever get over that."

"Me neither," James sulked.

"What's wrong with you?" Lily asked her husband looking up from the baby now snuggled in her arms. Harry was very happy now, he had his cuddly red blur back. The two black ones were too loud and they didn't hold him right or do anything right the way the red blur did.

"I couldn't get him to stop crying the whole time you were out and when he finally fell asleep it was from crying himself to sleep. When we were waiting in the hospital to come in here to see you, people were looking at me crazy and saying I was a horrible father."

"Aw, no you are not." Lily said pulling James's face close to hers with her free hand, "You just don't know what to do yet."

"How do you!"

"I am always with him and every time he cries I run."

"I did too but I couldn't get him to stop."

"He has different cries James, they tell you what he wants."

"What!" James and Sirius asked bewildered.

"One means he is hungry, another means he's wet, and then the last one is that he just wants attention or to be held." Lily turned her attention to Sirius momentarily, "When was the last time he was fed?"

"When I left with him about three hours ago."

Lily nodded and then turned her attention back to James, "Do you have a bottle on you?"

"Yeah, in the diaper bag. Why?"

"He needs to feed every three to four hours, but I hear him whimpering now."

"That's whimpering?" Sirius asked confused, "I thought he was just making noises."

"No," Lily shook his head. "His little throat is probably soar from crying the whole time I have been out."

James handed Lily the bottle and as soon as she put it in Harry's mouth he began to suck it dry.

"Wow!" James chuckled, "Look at him go."

"Hungry," Lily smiled lovingly down at her little boy as he began to drift off as he was being fed.

"He's falling asleep?" Sirius asked confused.

"It's okay," Lily nodded. "I'll just save whatever milk he doesn't finish now and give it to him when he wakes up."

"Please teach me when we get home," James whined. "I looked like a total idiot and I felt like a failure of a father."

"You're not James," Lily reassured him. "Harry is only a month old and I am still learning new things about him. I am around him all the time and with the war against Voldemort you are hardly home, and when you are home you are so tired that I just take care of both Harry and you."

"I am going to look like an idiot in front of all of your family with our son."

"The only family that I have left there is Petunia and her family, and I honestly don't care about them. I mean I will probably see a few people that knew me as a child and some of my Aunt Evelyn's old friends but most of the people I won't even know."

"Oh."

"Besides you are great with Harry, you are his father."

"If you say so," Sirius chuckled.

"Can it," James said elbowing Sirius in the gut which got a snicker from Remus in the corner.

"Stuff in Remus."

"Why? You probably did something wrong as usual Sirius," Amelia said walking into the room not noticing that Lily was awake. "So what did you do this time?"

"Say how horrible my husband is with my son, which is totally a lie." Lily said with a smile upon her face as she saw Amelia turned ghost white.

"Lily!" Amelia jumped and ran to give her best friend a huge hug, "Oh Merlin! I have been so worried about you and Alice."

"Have you seen her?"

Alice nodded, "She doesn't look well at all. Not nearly as well as you…"

"Mrs. Potter," the Healer said walking into the room. "You are finally awake?"

"That I am," Lily smiled. "Now let's get me out of here!"

"I don't know all about that…"

"Sir," Lily spoke up. "I need to leave tonight…"

"I'm sorry I can not permit that."

"My last relative of my family died and the funeral is tomorrow, I have to go."

The Healer sighed and ruffled his hair, "I know how horrible these times are now days with the war against Lord Voldemort. I will get a nurse to get your release form, but you have to swear to me that you will take it easy."

"I swear!" Lily said enthusiastically.

"No stress or over doing it."

"I swear."

"I am going to go and get our things packed and I will be back later on with our things, you can change here in your restroom."

"Okay," Lily said as James gave Lily a kiss on the lips and kiss Harry on the top of the head before he left the room to apparate home.

* * *

James walked back into Lily's hospital room he found it empty, except for his wife and infant son.

"Where did everyone go?"

"They left about ten minutes ago, all went to go check on Alice. I hear Frank has been out of his mind with worry and that Neville won't quit crying."

"Yeah," James said running his hands through his hair nervously. "Neither one of us really knew what to do. So he stayed in the extra room and we put the babies together and hoped that they would calm one another down, didn't work too well."

Lily chuckled, "Aw! Guess we need to make some more daddy/son time."

"Guess so, here's your suitcase so you can change."

"Do we have time for me to go see Alice before we leave?"

"I'm afraid we don't have enough time, but I'll tell Frank that you send your best. Alice was still unconscious last time I talked to him, so she really wouldn't know if you were there or not."

"I guess that will have to do," Lily sighed. "Will you take Harry with you so I can change and not look over my shoulder? Did you pack the playpen?"

"Yeah I shrunk it down, also my bag and some of Harry's things are all shrunk into my jacket pocket. So when you are done with your suitcase shrink it down and I will put it with the rest of our things."

"Okay."

"I love you," James said taking Harry from Lily's arms and kissed Lily one last time.

"I love you too, and you!" Lily said from James to Harry.

Harry was screaming at the top of his lungs, James looked tired, and Lily could not figure out how to calm him down.

* * *

"What is wrong with him?" James yelled after they had just Flooed into a Wizarding part of a small town in America and they were walking into the muggle part. They caught a taxi and James heard his wife tell the taxi driver the address to some street in New York City.

"This contrpaction is really slow," James wined in Lily's ear.

"I told you not a word."

"That was about the Aero-o-plane we weren't able to use."

"Okay," Lily nodded. "On Muggle things."

Harry was still screaming at the top of his lungs.

"What is wrong with him?" James asked again.

"I don't know," Lily said shaking her head. "He's not hungry, wet, and he won't let me put him down. You know how Harry hates Flooing, that's the longest one we have ever traveled maybe his stomach is all upset."

They got to the hotel just a few miles from where the funeral was going to be held and Harry was still crying at the top of his lungs.

"I wish he would stop," Lily said almost in tears.

"Let's go check in and we will try to figure it out."

James and Lily walked up to the front desk with a screaming baby Harry.

An older woman walked up to Lily, "Darling, how long has he been crying like that?"

"Almost an hour and I can't figure out what is wrong with him."

The lady placed her hand up to the infant's head, "Oh what a high temperature."

"What?" Lily's eyes bugged out as she felt his head, his first high temperature. "Oh that's the only thing I didn't check."

The lady smiled, "Is this your first one?"

"Yes, how did you know?"

"I use to be a pediatrician."

"Oh," Lily sighed.

"How old is he, about a month?"

"Yes."

"Ask the front desk to get you some Children's Tylenol, give him some and it should bring the fever down a bit and calm him down."

"Thank you," Lily smiled from ear to ear.

"He is a beautiful little boy."

"Thank you.'

* * *

Meanwhile…

"I am checking in. I have reservations for a James Potter," James told the woman at the desk.

The lady looked at her list and nodded, "Here is your room key."

"James," Lily said walking over to the front desk with her husband.

He turned around and saw that Lily looked like she had everything under control again, which made him breath.

"Could you please get me some Children's Tylenol? My son is running a very high fever."

"Of course," the woman nodded. "I will get a bellboy to bring it up to your room. Also, there was a message left here for you from your aunt's attorney. The memorial for you aunt is in about an hour and the funeral is tomorrow at nine in the morning."

"Thank you."

* * *

"James," Lily whined.

"I'll get him this time," James went to get out of bed sleep walking.

"Harry is already awake, now it is time for you to wake up."

James groaned and Harry made a cooing noise.

"We are going to be late if you don't wake up," Lily said sternly and he groaned again. "I will turn the light on you."

"Okay," James groaned. "I'm awake!"

"Good, you have twenty minutes to get ready."

"Crap."

"Yes I know, now go get ready." Lily said rolling up here eyes at her husband, "I am going to feed Harry before we leave."

"Those taxis are so slow," James groaned as they walked up the steps to Aunt Evelyn's estate.

"I told you stop complaining," Lily said through her teeth. "The muggles will look at us oddly, you know we can not blow our cover."

"I know, I know."

"Lily dear!" A voice came to the right of her.

"Oh Merlin, here we go." Lily sighed, "One of Aunt Evelyn's many friends."

An older lady pulled Lily into a hug and then squealed, which got Harry crying again. "My, my! Lily how you have grown up!"

"Thank you," Lily blushed.

"Your parents and grandmother would be so proud of you, I know Evelyn was."

"Thank you."

"Married and with a little boy, would I be imposing by asking to hold him?"

"Of course not," Lily smiled handing the infant over. "Just be careful he had a high fever last night and he's got a bit of a cold."

"How old is he?"

"A month old."

"Looks just like his father."

"Oh I'm sorry," James piped up. "I have been really rude, James Potter."

"Myrtle Reed," the old woman said so she could shake James's hand. "He looks just like you."

"That is what everyone says," James nodded.

"But he has your eyes, Lily dear."

"I know," Lily blushed.

"I love that he has her eyes," James said pulling Lily close and kissing the top of her head.

"You must be so proud."

"We are," Lily and James said at the same time.

"You are so lucky, you know that?"

James and Lily gave one another an odd look.

"Petunia and you had your boys just months apart, I bet that they will be best friends. Like the two of you were when you were little."

"Yeah," Lily sighed. "That was a long time ago, but Petunia has hated me for almost ten years now."

"Sibling rivalry," Myrtle shrugged.

"Lily dear!" Petunia squealed as she ran to give her sister a hug, but Lily didn't keep her hopes up. Lily knew that Petunia was putting up a show for all of their Aunt Evelyn's friends. Petunia pulled back and James looked disgusted, "Where is Henry?"

"Harry," James rolled his eyes.

"That's what I said," Petunia lied. "Where is my little nephew?"

James took his son back from Myrtle and Petunia chocked on her saliva. Her eyes got huge and she looked up at James, "He looks just like…you?"

"Yes," James nodded.

"I love it," Lily said kissing James on the lips.

Harry yawned and his eyes opened, "Green!" Petunia yelled, she had always been jealous of Lily's eyes.

"Yes," Lily smiled from ear to ear. "He looks just like James but he has my beautiful eyes. You know the eyes I shared with Mum and Grandma Rose."

"Petunia," came a big, fat Vernon Dursley with a blue bundle in his arms.

"I must be going," Myrtle excused herself. "My husband will be looking for me."

"You!" Vernon's eyes got huge, "How dare you come here as we know what your kind is!"

"Keep your voice down," Petunia hit Vernon and took their baby out of his arms. "Remember, appearances Vernon."

"Oh yes," he nodded."Of course."

James began to make gagging noises and Lily giggled.

"You are still as weird as ever _Potter_," Vernon sneered.

"You are still as hideous and fat as ever," James shot back. "Where is your son?" James looked around honestly, "Why are you holding a piglet in your arms?"

"You bastard!" Petunia hissed as she took Dudley from Vernon's arms, "That is our son, Dudley you weirdo!"

James began to laugh at the top of his lungs, "Dudley! What kind of name is Dudley!"

"It is unique," Petunia said putting her nose up in the air.

"It is hideous!" James cackled.

"Henry…"

"Harry," Lily corrected her horrible sister.

Petunia's nose curled up, "What a horribly common name."

"Well…" James said trying to grab for something, "Your kid looks like a pig!"

"What!" Petunia screamed.

"James," Lily acted like she was trying to stop him but she really didn't care.

"Your kid looks like a pig!"

"James let's go inside…"

"Yeah!" James nodded, "It smells like pig meat out here!"

Lily giggled and he put his arm around his wife as she held Harry in her arms. The little family walked into the estate for the memorial.

* * *

Later on, all of Aunt Evelyn's friends wanted to see the newest editions to Evelyn's family. Of course that would be Harry and Dudley. As they were passing the one-month-old Harry and four-month-old babies around Lily finally saw Petunia and Vernon's baby. Lily barfed a little bit in her mouth.

That was the ugliest baby Lily had ever seen in her entire. James was right, he looked like a big. Of course Petunia had him in the most frilliest baby clothes she had ever seen. It was all blue, of course so you could know he was a boy. Supposedly. That's what Vernon had said and both Lily and James rolled their eyes at this.

Baby Dudley Dursley looked like a pig in a frilly blue bonnet.

Lily cried a bit at the funeral, but Petunia went over board on purpose. In fact Petunia had never liked Aunt Evelyn, but with Petunia she always had to keep up appearances.

After the funeral at the church that Aunt Evelyn had attended, they had to all report to her lawyer's office.

Lily, James, and Harry sat on side of the room and Petunia, Vernon, and Dudley sat on the other side of the room.

"It is really wonderful that the six of you were able to travel all the way from England to attend your aunt's funeral," the lawyer said with a smile. "I had always been a very close friend with your aunt."

"Of course _we_ came," Petunia said motioning to herself and Vernon. "I always loved Aunt Evelyn and I was heartbroken when I was informed of her death."

Lily rolled her eyes at this, "Sorry it took so long to respond back to you Mr. Martin." Lily said addressing the lawyer, "I was devestaed when I heard about my aunt's death and my husband and I had planned on coming to give Aunt Evelyn our last respects. I was in a terrible accident a few days ago and I was unconscious."

"Yeah right," Petunia rolled her eyes.

"I know Mrs. Potter," Mr. Martin nodded. "Your husband contacted me when you were in the hospital, I hope you are okay. I understand that there was a gas leak and that is what made the building explode?"

"Yes sir," Lily said with a little white lie.

"I hope you are doing better."

"Much better."

"Was your son with you?"

"Yes, but I threw myself over him. You know a mother's love. Harry didn't even have a scratch on him."

"But you on the other hand still have a huge bump on your head."

"Add a broken wrist and fractured ankle too," James threw in.

"You heal fast don't you, Mrs. Potter?" Mr. Martin asked a bit confused.

"So what are we here for again?" James asked trying to change the subject.

"Oh that's right. Your aunt left a message for you," Mr. Martin turned around and place play on the VCR and the TV began to play a message from Lily and Petunia's late Aunt Evelyn.

"My dearest Lily and Petunia," Aunt Evelyn said smiling from ear to ear. Lily noticed Aunt Evelyn looked ten times worse than she did at Grandma Rose's funeral, the last time Lily had seen Aunt Evelyn alive. "If you are watching this I am sorry to tell you that I have passed on and now looking down on you and your new families."

"Lily, congratulations again on marrying James. I loved the wedding pictures you sent me, and I really wish I could have been attended your wedding. When you told me that you and James were going to have a baby, I was so proud of you. The pictures of Harry were beautiful. He looks just like James, but he has those beautiful eyes that you shared with Rose and your mother, Lily dear."

"Petunia," Aunt Evelyn smiled. "You too dear have started a…um…beautiful family with Vernon and your new little boy Dwayne."

James began to snicker that the fact that Evelyn didn't truly know Dudley's name, and Petunia looked outraged.

"I have left the two of you both something in my will."

Petunia's eyes got those greedy eyes of hers.

"Lily, James, and sweet baby Harry. I have left you half a million American dollars and half of my stocks in CNN and NBC."

"Petunia, I have left you the deed to my estate here in America."

"I love you my dears and goodnight."


	29. Traitor in the Mist

**Chapter 29**

"Petunia must have been livid," Alice giggled as Lily gave her the inside details of what had gone on at Aunt Evelyn's funeral.

"You should have seen her," Lily chuckled as she brought her tea cup up to her lips. "She was mad because her kid was ugly and looked like a pig, and the fact that Harry is a beautiful baby."

"That he is," Amelia nodded.

"Then the fact that James kept saying that the place smelled like pork and look directly at their kid."

"He did not!" Sirius screamed like a little girl as butterbeer flew out of his nose.

"Sirius!" Amelia hissed, "That is disgusting."

"Then in the will she called him Dwayne."

"Totally pissed off," James said ending that conversation.

Remus Flooed in and looked ghost white, "Another Order member killed."

"What!" They all screamed.

Remus nodded, "Albus just contacted me. He wants to see us all in an hour, but he wants to see Lily, James, Alice, and Frank now."

"I wonder why?" Lily looked concerned.

"We don't even have time to find a sitter," Alice pointed out.

"Just bring the babies with us," James said grabbing Harry out of the playpen as Frank followed James.

* * *

"I am glad to see the six of you could make it here in such short notice," Albus Dumbledore said smiling as he let them into his Headmaster's office.

"Was very short notice," Alice pointed out as her bossy rich girl tone kicked in. "We didn't even have time to find a babysitter for the boys."

"That's fine," Albus said now walking behind his desk and motioning them to sit down in the four seats across from his desk. "I was hoping you would bring the boys with you as this does concern them."

"What?" The four parents said at the same time.

"You might want to sit down for this," Albus sighed.

"We are sitting," Lily reminded him.

"Oh yes," he then flicked his wand and Firewhiskey appeared. "You might want a drink then."

"No thank you," Alice chimed.

"Okay," he sighed as you could tell he really didn't want to bring this news to their attention. "As you all know I have a secret spy on the other side that none of you have ever seen as we have our own spy and our spy is very valuable to us."

They all nodded as they remembered hearing this in last weeks meeting.

"Our spy has just come to me with some horrible news, he has known this for sometime but figured that Voldemort would just ignore this and move on."

"Obviously he hasn't or else you wouldn't have called us in," James finally spoke.

Lily could see the worry on her old Headmaster's face and took Harry from James's arms. Alice on the other hand was chewing her nails and was too afraid at the moment to take Neville from Frank.

"We have found out that one of Voldemort's Death Eaters overheard a Seer…"

"An actual Seer?" Alice asked amazed, you hardly ever heard of true Seers anymore.

"Yes Mrs. Longbottom, an actual Seer." Albus chuckled.

"Shh, you!" Lily hissed and Alice stuck her tongue out at her best friend.

"Okay can the two of you act like adults for once?" James rolled his eyes.

"You would think you all were still Seventh years here, but really I need your undivided attention."

"Sorry," Lily and Alice apologized.

"One of Voldemort's Death Eaters overhead a Seer's prediction."

"What was the prediction?" Frank asked.

"That a child that will be born at the end of July, whose parents have defied Voldemort three times, will be marked as an equal to Lord Voldemort himself…"

"What!" Lily, James, Alice, and Frank yelled and their eyes all popped out of their heads.

"But…but…" Frank stuttered.

"There have to have been other families that have gone against Voldemort three times…"

"No," Albus Dumbledore shook his head. "Only the four of you have and are still alive to speak about it."

"So…" Alice began to get all chocked up.

Lily nodded as tears fell down her eyes, "That means that one of our sons is the child that is suppose to be an equal to Voldemort…what does that mean! Does that mean one of our children will be evil like him!"

"I am not quite sure, but I do know that Voldemort has a hit on the both of your children."

"But…but this is insane," Alice said as tears were now falling down eyes as she tightly held on to her son.

Lily's eyes lit up and she looked at Dumbledore, "You mean that explosion in Muggle London was intended for us!"

"Oh Merlin, no." Alice began to sob.

"I am sorry to say, but yes Lily that attack was to kill both little Neville and Harry."

"No!" Alice screamed as she began to sob, holding the baby even closer to her. Frank held his wife and his son as close as the chairs would let him.

Lily's eyes bugged out as huge crocodile tears fell down her face. Lily also held her son close to her bosom and James just tried to hold on to Lily as much as he could. He actually was surprised that she wasn't crying out loud like Alice.

"This is absurd Albus!" James spoke out, "How could our baby sons be a threat to Voldemort? Voldemort is the most powerful dark sorcerer since Salazar Slytherin himself! Why would one of our sons as babies be a threat!"

"Which ever child the prophecy talks about may be a threat now or might not even be a threat for years to come."

"So why come after our children now?" Frank asked and he sounded both angry and upset.

"Get rid of the threat before he is truly a threat," Albus shrugged his shoulders. "I honestly don't know, but it just a theory. I do not know what goes on inside Voldemort's head, except for the fact that he wants one of your sons dead."

"Then why did both of our children, including Lily and I get attacked!" Alice asked still very upset.

"I am guessing the Death Eater that is suppose to figure out which one of your children is the threat decided just to kill the both of the boys that way he was over and done with it."

"That is horrible!" Lily sobbed.

"I am sorry Lily, but it is just an estimated guess." Albus Dumbledore apologized.

"But it does sound like something a Death Eater would do," James pointed out.

"That it does," Frank agreed.

"So what are we to do to protect our children?" Lily asked as she squeezed Harry so hard that he cried out in pain. Lily sighed as she realized that she had just awoken the sleeping babe and tried to calm him back down.

"I am working that out now," Albus sighed. "I am going to have order members guarding the both of your homes until we can figure out which one of the boys is the child that was prophesied about."

"But there is a spy for Voldemort in the Order," Alice stuttered. "What if the person you send to my home or even Lily's is the traitor? What if he hands our entire family over to Voldemort?"

"That is why there will be two people assigned to your homes at all times. An Order member and an Auror. Myself or Minerva will be checking in with the two people at their posts at your house. Minerva will be in charge of the morning and I will take care of the night."

* * *

Lily had pulled Harry's bassinet back into their room and she had put it right beside her bed. Then she couldn't sleep because every time she was almost asleep, she would jump up and look over to make sure Harry was still there fast asleep.

"Lily," James groaned after a constant hour of this.

"Shh!" She hissed at him, "Harry is sleeping."

"I know and if you keep up to what you are doing then you will not only keep the two of us up, you will also wake Harry up."

"What am I doing?" Lily said turning to frown at him in the dark.

"Every five minutes you are jumping up to see if Harry is still there."

"So shoot me," Lily growled. "I am worried about our only son, in fact our only child!"

"Lily put him in bed with us if you are so worried, I am extremely worried about him too."

"I don't know…"

"We will both be put to enough ease to fall asleep. We will feel him between us and he will be able to sleep and so will we."

* * *

Lily was overly protective over Harry, even more than usual. She wouldn't even keep him in a stroller anymore, he had to be on her hip or in his infant carrier that hung off of her body. Anytime she would put him in there he was instantly asleep.

James picked Harry out of the playpen when he was done with his paperwork for the day for work, Lily was in the kitchen cooking dinner and had just hollered for him to bring the baby with him.

"Put him in the highchair," she said as soon as he walked in with a gurgling Harry.

"I was going to…"

"Make sure he is secured in by the strap."

"Lily!" James yelled as he strapped Harry into his baby seat and then walked to put his arms around his wife.

"Don't leave the baby alone!"

"Lily!" James turned Lily around to look at him eye to eye, "He is my son too! I understand how worried you are about him, but how do you think I feel! I am as worried about Harry as you are. I am also really worried about you…"

"Now you know how I feel everyday when you go to work…"

"Yes love," James said kissing her on the lips. "But you can not keep this up! You have drove all of our friends so crazy that now when they come in they won't even go near Harry because you start screaming orders around about how to hold him and to watch what he puts in his mouth."

"You are suppose to do that every time someone that is not you or me is holding him."

"Lily, you are going insane!"

"You would too," she finally broke down into tears. James hated to make her cry, but she hadn't showed any true emotions in over a month now. Harry had slept in their bed every night since the night they had gone to Albus Dumbledore's office at Hogwarts and found out that either their son or Frank and Alice's son was the child that could bring Voldemort down. Now both of their sons were in mortal danger.

* * *

"Wormtail!" Voldemort screamed and Wormtail came skidding into the room.

"Sir!" Wormtail said bowing down to his master.

"Have you been around the Potters, Black, Bones, Lupin, and the Longbottoms?"

"No sire. I have only been doing my Death Eater duties and working."

"Your Death Eater duties include spending times with those goody too shoes to find out what is going on, not just Order meetings!"

"I am sorry master, I just want to prove my worth."

"Other than the Order and the goody too shoes you use to call friend, you are worthless here!"

* * *

Peter showed up at Godric's Hollow and knocked on the door.

"James can you get that?" Lily yelled as she was changing Harry's nappy.

"Hey!" James yelled as he opened the door and hugged his longtime friend, "Where the hell have you been?"

"Busy with work, you know how it is."

James narrowed his eyes, "I thought you were a waiter?"

"Oh no," Peter blushed. "I guess it has been that long since we saw one another, I am now working for the Ministry now!"

"Alright, come on in!"

"Who is it love?" Lily asked and to hear her voice made Peter boil inside but he put on a pleasant smile on to be nice like the Dark Lord told him too.

"Peter."

"Hello Peter," Lily smiled as Peter and James walked back into the living area.

"What's that smell?" Peter's nose curled up.

"Harry's dirty nappy," Lily said as she put Harry's clothes on him and sent his dirty nappy through the air and to the rubbish bin.

"Nasty."

"Yes," Lily sighed. "But that is the responsibility of a parent, but it is wonderful to see you again!" Lily hugged Peter and Peter honestly wanted to throw her to the ground and kill her right there, but he sucked it up and hugged the nasty Mudblood back.

"Nice to see you too Lily."

"Where have you been?"

"I got a job with the Ministry and been very with it. You know how the ministry has been the last year."

"Of course," Lily said as she picked Harry off of the ground and began to throw him up and down to make him gurgle. "So what are you doing for the ministry?"

"Writing out notices to Hogwarts students that are using magic outside of school."

"Wonderful," Lily lied through a smile. "Thrilling right?"

Peter narrowed his eyes, "Yeah."

"Here James," Lily said handing Harry over. "You can put him in the playpen while you catch up with Peter, I have to start dinner. You will stay for dinner, won't you Peter?"

"Uh…"

"Oh you have to stay," James said kissing the top of Harry's forehead as he set him down into the playpen. "Lily's cooking is the best."

"Oh I don't know…"

"Aw come on!" James said hitting Peter on the shoulder, "Remus, Sirius, and Amelia will be by."

"What about Frank and Alice?" Peter asked as he remembered what the Dark Lord had just yelled at him about.

"Mrs. Longbottom's birthday."

"Oh," Peter nodded.

"James could you help me real quick?" Lily yelled from the other room.

"Be right there!" James yelled back and then turned to Peter, "Could you watch Harry for me real quick?"

"Uh…I don't know…"

"He'll be in the playpen, just make sure he doesn't hurt himself and if he does yell at me."

"Uh, okay."

James ran into the kitchen and Peter looked behind him to make sure James was gone. Peter got down to Harry's level at the playpen, "Hello you little filthy halfblood."

Harry looked up at Peter with his teething ring in his mouth and Harry began to whine.

"You should have never been born! You and your mummy are not good enough for you daddy, but I will take care of that. You and your mummy should have died the night I made the explosion happen."

Then Harry began to scream out and Peter jumped back.

"Shh! Shh!" Peter's eyes bugged out as he tried to calm the infant down.

James ran out into the room and looked at a bewildered Peter, "What happened?" James yelled over Harry's screams and tried to console his son.

"I…I have no idea."

Lily ran into the room, "James I thought you said you were going to calm him down?"

"I am trying!"

Lily took Harry away and her eyes got wide, "Go get the thermometer and my wand." James nodded and Lily ran across the room and opened a book out on the living room table.

"What's wrong with him?" Peter asked.

"He's got a very high temperature."

"What's a thermometer?"

"A muggle device to see how hot he really is, I swear by it. I actually convinced Molly and Alice to get one too and they love it for the children." Lily yelled over Harry's screams and Peter backed away again.

James ran back in the room and Lily took Harry's temperature which was over one hundred degrees. She then waved her wand over the infant's head and said a spell that was in the book she had been reading. Soon Harry's cries began to go down and soon the infant was asleep.

"Is he okay?" James asked very scared for Harry.

"He will be," Lily sighed.

"What's that smell?" Peter asked again.

"Crap!" Lily's eyes got wide, "Food is burnt. Take Harry and lay him back down in the playpen. I will throw the food out and just order some take out."

* * *

A few weeks later Alice showed up at Lily's house for lunch while Lily was feeding Harry.

"Good thought," Alice said opening her diaper bag. "I need to feed Neville too before he goes all crazy on me."

"You know," Lily said as she looked up at her best friend. "The weirdest thing happened the other night."

"What?"

"Harry had this really high fever and was all upset…"

"Neville gets like that every time he gets sick."

"Yeah but even after I got his fever to go down, well anytime I would bring him around Peter he began to scream like I was beating him."

Alice stopped feeding Neville and looked at her friend oddly, "You know Peter stopped by the other day and Neville was acting the same way. In fact he would not calm down until Peter left."

"That is exactly how Harry was. Even though he still had a slight fever before I laid him down for the night, as soon as Peter left he was fine."

* * *

"Think about it Sirius," Peter said trying to push an idea into Sirius's head. Peter had had a few drinks, but Sirius was almost completely intoxicated.

"I don't know man…"

"It makes since."

"But why?"

"I don't know why."

"He has always been a wonderful friend!"

"He disappeared after Gabriella's death…"

"He was distraught," Sirius said blinking because he now saw three Peter's in front of him. "He lost the love of his life. He loved Gabriella as much as I loved Cassidy, as much as James love Lily, and as much as Frank loves Alice."

"You remember how the ministry still thinks Remus was the reason she was murdered, they read her old diaries and saw that everything was fine and dandy."

"No relationship is perfect…"

"Why was he gone for so long though?" Peter asked still trying to push Sirius into persuasion.

"He was trying to get over her, you saw how I was after Cassidy died."

"Yeah, but wasn't it just a bit too odd that a short time after Remus got back that Dumbledore announced that there was a traitor amongst us?"

Sirius's eyes got wide and he gasped, "I never thought about that."

"Even when he came back he was distant and now that things are starting to get worse he is around all the time?"

"Oh Merlin," Sirius sighed. "This is nuts…but he was our friend…"

"Key word," Peter smiled from ear to ear knowing that Sirius had taken bait. "_Was_."


	30. Happy Christmas Harry

**Chapter 30**

"Happy Halloween love," Lily Potter said smiling over Harry's crib as she pulled him up. He was smiling up at her and began to gurgle. "Your first Halloween and Auntie Amelia is having a party tonight and we are invited. Harry gurgled again and she smiled, "Yes we did. Guess what you are going to be for Halloween? A dinosaur!"

"A what?" James frowned as he walked into the nursery and ran his hands through his hair.

Lily flicked her wand and Harry's baby Halloween costume floated out of his closet, "That." She motioned to as she picked her baby out of the crib. Lily had finally gotten enough courage to let Harry sleep in the other room without her hovering over it, but she made James bring her to a muggle baby shop. This is where they bought a baby monitor and Lily modified it where it worked off of magic, like the rest of their house.

James turned around and took the costume out of midair. James chuckled, "Lily that is too cute. You realize he will kill us later on when we show his first girlfriend the pictures of him in this."

"Maybe you," Lily said turning her head as she was now changing his dirty nappie. "But he will always love his Mummy. Mummy can not do anything wrong to her baby Harry!"

The baby gurgled as he loved when his mother talked him in baby talk.

The costume was blue and green. It had a little hood that had dinosaur spikes and kept his little head warm. It also had little mittens and feet covers, that was blue and green all over with dinosaur spikes from the top of the head all the way to the bottom.

"It will keep him warm," Lily pointed out. "It has been getting chilly around here and I don't want him to catch another cold."

"I know."

At breakfast Lily was feeding baby Harry and James was sitting beside them eating his eggs and breakfast. Sirius and Amelia walked into the Potter kitchen.

"Howdy Potters," Sirius said grabbing his belt and walking in like an old cowboy from the Americas.

"Oh Merlin," Lily sighed. "What muggle show has he caught now?"

"Got me," Amelia shrugged. "Ask James, they were the ones that were alone with the baby last night. He has been like this all night last night and this morning."

"I still need to go get James and I a Halloween costume."

"Get the boys to watch the baby and we will go shopping," Amelia shrugged.

"No!" James jumped up, "I want to pick out my own costume!"

"One condition."

"Okay."

"No stupid costume."

"Aw, Lily!"

"You fell right into that one Prongs," Sirius cackled.

"You aren't wearing anything retarded either," Amelia piped up and Sirius went all sad faced now and it was James laughing this time.

"I will just get the stroller and we will all go shopping for our costumes together," Lily suggested.

* * *

The Halloween party ended up being a smash hit, and everyone was having fun. No one was actually having to worry about the fight with the Lord Voldemort or his Death Eaters tonight. Tonight everyone was having fun and remembering what how life was before the war with Voldemort started.

Amelia had thought of everything to make this night totally care free. In fact Amelia had even hired a nanny to watch over the children while their parents partied the night away. Which was a good thing at the moment because James was trashed and Lily was pretty tipsy.

Lily and James had also gotten the best costumes, and they had both been satisfied with them. Lily ended up going as a roman goddess and James was Zeus.

"As if you really need to feed his ego anymore," Alice rolled her eyes as the couple showed up with a dinosaur baby Harry.

"I know," Lily sighed. "Didn't really think about it until he had slipped it on and started strutting around the house."

Sirius ended up being a pirate, Amelia was a fairy, Frank was a troll, Alice a mermaid, and Remus was a muggle postman which made the close friends crack up because of the long story. Peter didn't show up which concerned all the friends, but soon they were all too trashed to worry about Peter.

It was quite clear to everyone at the party that Amelia and Sirius's relationship was truly blossoming into something much, much more.

"Won't surprise me," Alice spoke while slurring her words to Lily. "I think there will be another wedding here soon."

"I know," Lily nodded. "Sirius deserves to be happy after losing Autumn and Cassidy. Amelia deserves to be happy too, s…she is such a good person."

* * *

Hours later, James came stumbling from downstairs. "Lily have you seen Sirius or Amelia?"

"No," Lily yawned. "They disappeared hours ago. Why?"

"I wanted to say goodbye to them."

"Are you guys leaving?" Remus asked while hiccupping.

"Floo home," James nodded. "Harry has another fever."

"Oh no," Lily sighed. "Let's get him home then."

* * *

Weeks later Remus Lupin was sitting alone in the back of the Leaky Cauldron. Even though it really didn't matter to sit in the very back for privacy, as there was no one else in the Leaky Cauldron but Tom, the old bar keep.

Then the person that Remus was suppose to meet finally walked in and sat next to him.

"I thought you would never show," Remus spoke as he drank another Firewhiskey. Tom kept them a coming.

"I was a bit tied up at the office today," Peter said acting sincere.

"Why did we have to meet here?"

"I wanted to meet alone."

Remus nodded, "I figured that. So what is so important to come to an abandoned bar way away from all of our friends."

"I have figured out whom the spy is."

"What!" Remus's eyes almost popped out, "Then why haven't you gone to Albus with this information."

"I have," Peter lied. "Albus says I need to have some concrete evidence proving it."

"So you want me to help you prove that the person you believe is the spy."

"Yes."

"Why me?"

"No one will give you a job and I know that you are extremely bored."

"Well, I help Lily out all the time with the house and the baby."

"I know," Peter nodded. "Do you want to help me or not?"

"Of course," Remus nodded. "This person is threatening all of our lives. Also was the murderer of my sweet Gabriella."

Remus didn't see Peter twitch at the mention of Gabriella.

"Who do you believe it is?" Remus pushed on.

"Sirius."

Remus spit his Firewhiskey all over the place to get an evil look from Tom from across the room. "Have you gone bonkers!"

"What?" Peter backed up.

"You honestly think the spy is Sirius?"

"Yes," Peter lied.

"How? Sirius is our friend! He lost Aurora and Cassidy because of this spy, so it could not be Sirius! We could lose Harry or Neville, or the both of them because of the spy. Hell we almost lost Lily, Harry, Alice, and Neville! You truly believe that it is Sirius?"

"Yes," Peter lied again.

"How?" Remus asked amazed.

"He is a Black after all. Look at Narcissa and Bellatrix…look at what Regulus was."

"Sirius has always been the total opposite of them. He loved Cassidy and could not wait until the arrival of baby Aurora. Do you remember how devastated he was when he lost the both of them! Do you not remember how destroyed he was after Cassidy had died! Remember how long it took him to move on?"

"You know I never believed that act he put on," Peter shook his head as he began to set his plan in motion.

"What act?"

"That being such in love act that he gave up his bachelorhood for domestic life with a child."

"But he did!" Remus yelled with his eyes popping out and Tom looked up to see what was all the ruckus.

"You don't believe me?"

"No Peter, I am sorry I do not. I do not believe that Sirius that kind of evil in him to be the spy. I can not believe that Sirius's relationship with Cassidy was a fraud and that he never wanted that little girl that he still mourns over. Hell he still mourns over the both of them. You can not tell me that the man that Grace and Harold raised as their own is the spy, I will not believe it."

"You won't tell the others will you? I can not let anyone know my suspicions until I can prove it."

"I will not tell anyone your suspicions only because they are ludicrous." Remus got up and threw money on the table, "Good night Peter."

* * *

"So," Lily said winking at her friend. "Amelia what happened to you in Sirius at the Halloween party? Should we be expecting a little baby from the two of you soon?"

"No," Amelia blushed.

"Well we wouldn't know because you haven't talked to us since the that night," Alice pointed out. "Now it is almost Christmas and we are having to do all our shopping now and have a little visit now."

"I know," Amelia sighed. "I have just been so busy at work with everything going on, it has just been so hard to get away from work. By the time I get home from work then I am just too tired to come by and stay at home with Sirius."

"I understand," Lily shook her head as Harry cooed from his stroller.

"Look!" Alice pointed out, "Father Christmas!"

"You still believe don't you?" Amelia joked.

"Not for me," Alice rolled her eyes. "For the kids, you know Neville and Harry."

"Oh I would love to have a picture of Harry with Father Christmas," Lily grinned from ear to ear. "I remember my mum had Petunia and my first picture of Father Christmas on the mantle until that night she died. Every time I came home from Hogwarts and see those pictures just let me know I was finally home."

Father Christmas was absolutely terrifying to little baby Harry as all he was doing was screaming at the top of his lungs. A huge man that was all in red, face was really scratchy, and a laugh that shook Harry all around. Then there was a bright light that scared Harry even more. Even though it didn't seem possible, but he did scream even louder then he was screaming before.

Finally Lily picked her son up from this Father Christmas's lap.

Lily paid the money to the photographer and sighed as she looked at the picture, "Horrible." She began to giggle, "Look how upset he was. James makes that same face when he doesn't get his way."

"So weird," Alice said shifting Neville on to her other hip as they were finishing up their Christmas shopping. "Harry was absolutely terrified and I had to pry Neville away from Father Christmas." Alice then showed Lily and Amelia her picture of a very happy Neville with Father Christmas.

"Oh well," Lily sighed. "Let's just finish our shopping before the kids get fussy. Oh yeah," Lily brightened up. "James and I are throwing a Christmas Party on Christmas Eve at the house."

"I don't know," Alice bit her lip. "I mean, no offense, but honestly we should not have attended the Halloween party that Amelia threw."

"And why not?" Amelia frowned a little offended as they were now in a robe shop.

"Well honestly," Alice sighed. "You had invited almost the entire Ministry and everyone in the Order. We do not know who we can really trust at the Ministry and we still have not figured out who the spy is in the Order. Yes, Frank and I had a blast. In fact the next morning I realized what kind of danger we could have all been in."

"I felt the same way," Lily confessed as she checked on a now sleeping Harry in his stroller.

"I know," Amelia sighed. "There was way too many people there, but we did all have fun."

"Yeah we did," Lily smiled. "I did think about what Alice pointed out. So I just want to invite family, you know you guys."

"Aww Lily," Amelia smiled.

"All we have now is each other in these dark times."

"So what's the plan?" Alice asked.

"Alice, Neville, Frank, Amelia, Sirius, Remus, Peter, and Albus will all be invited."

"I don't think he will show."

"Why not Amelia?" Lily frowned.

"Sirius and I invited him to our Halloween party and he did not show up, did he?"

"Most likely because there were so many people there," Alice suggested as she paid the cashier. "You know how Voldemort," the cashier screamed at hearing his true name but Alice shrugged her off, "we all know he has a bounty on Albus. Any Death Eater knows that if he is the one to kill Albus he will be honored by Voldemort."

"Do not say his name," the cashier hissed.

Alice rolled her eyes as they left the store.

"He doesn't have to show up," Lily shrugged her shoulders. "I just want him to know that he is welcomed."

* * *

Harry Potter was almost five months old now and he was laying on his stomach and began to army crawl towards the Christmas tree. He had been staring down those bows on the presents for weeks now and he wondered how they tasted. They looked really yummy and his mummy would not let him go anywhere near them.

"Harry!" Lily yelled as her infant had crawled and was now underneath the Christmas tree eating one of the bows off of one of James's presents.

"What is it?" James yelled as he ran into the living room with his wand at the ready.

Lily was dancing around and around with a very happy, cooing Harry on her hip.

"Lily!" James asked now really confused, "What is wrong with Harry? Is he okay? He is okay, right?"

"My wittle man is perfect!" Lily smiled as she began to spin in circles with Harry as he cooed and giggled some more.

"Well what is wrong?"

"James!" Lily looked away from Harry's baby face, "He crawled to the tree!"

"Merlin!" James ran over to Lily and took Harry into his arms and threw Harry up and down in the air. "That's my boy!" Harry liked being thrown up and down not only did it feel really neat, but he could feel the funny stuff on top of his head going up and down.

"What a wonderful Christmas present!" Lily beamed at her son.

"And an entire day early too," James smiled with such pride in his son.

* * *

"Lily," Alice gasped as she looked all around the Potter's home that had been transformed into a Christmas wonderland. "Beautiful and breathtaking. Looks like the way your mum and Grandma Rose use to keep the house when you would come home. I always loved coming by your house to see what they had done for you that year."

"I know," Lily gave a sad smile. "Can't believe that they have all really been dead this long, the holidays really get to me."

"I know," Alice nodded. "All of us really. You lost your Grandma Rose at the end of fifth year, your mum and dad at Christmas our seventh year, I lost my mum and dad, Frank lost his father, James lost the both of his parents in a fight against Voldemort, Remus lost Gabriella to the spy, and Sirius also lost Cassidy and Aurora to the same spy. The holidays are hard for all of us."

"All of you guys were wonderful friends to us in Hogwarts and we all conquered the tragedies that happened together. We are family and I had to have all of you guys here with us to celebrate."

"I still can't get over your decorations."

"Kind of a tribute to my mum and Grandma Rose."

"I figured that much," Alice nodded. "How did James react to your Christmas extravaganza?"

"He totally loved it."

"Harry?"

"Took a few days," Lily laughed. "He didn't know where to look first and it took a few days for him to get use to it."

"Poor baby."

"I know," she giggled and then sighed. "Oh he crawled for the first time today!"

"Oh Lily!" Alice pulled her best friend into a tight hug, "That's wonderful! Hopefully Neville will start to crawl soon too."

"Let's go into the dining room, everyone else is already in there."

Around the table was James, Lily, Harry (in a highchair), Frank, Alice, Neville (who was also in a highchair), Sirius, Amelia, Remus, and Peter.

"Too bad Albus did not show up," Alice said over dinner.

"Alice please do not give up on me so easily," Albus Dumbledore said stepping into the dinning room with a casserole.

"How wonderful of you to show up," Lily said getting up to pull up another chair.

"How wonderful that the Potters invite me over for this holiday dinner."

"What about the students at Hogwarts?" Remus asked from a couple of chairs down.

"Sent all home, Hogwarts is in a great danger with the war that is going on at the moment. The Governors ordered that every student and member of the facility be sent home. I got a lovely invitation from the Potters for Christmas dinner on Christmas Eve, so how could I pass it up?"

"So why didn't you attend our Halloween party?" Sirius asked a bit confused.

"I apologize, but the Governors set up a Halloween Ball to try and brighten up the spirits of all the students through all this doom and gloom." Albus turned his attention now to the two babies in the room, "Merlin! The two of them have grown like weeds."

Both mothers beamed proudly about the above statement and dinner went on with pleasant small talk.

* * *

"Happy Christmas Harry, my love." Lily said from looking over her almost five month olds crib.

"Happy Christmas Harry," James said from behind his wife with his arms around her waist.

Harry gurgled at his parents and in their hearts that was Harry's way of saying Happy Christmas to them.


	31. Rubber Ducky

**_A.N./ Sorry you guys...I forgot to add a chapter a few weeks ago. It is after Aunt Evelyn, it is called "Saying goodbye to aunt evelyn." then there is this chapter, sorry again!  
Sable._**

**Chapter 31**

"Three…two…one, Happy New Year!" Lily, James, Alice, Frank, Amelia, Sirius, and Remus yelled.

James kissed Lily, Frank kissed Alice, and Sirius kissed Amelia. Remus felt a bit put out, but Remus was still not ready to move on. Remus had loved Gabriella for years.

Remus didn't blame Sirius for moving on and honestly Remus was sick of being alone. Being a Werewolf made it hard to trust people and many people freak out when they find out the truth about him. In fact James, Sirius, and Peter had been Remus's first friends ever.

Lily eventually found out about Remus's secret and she too never treated him any different. In fact all the girls eventually found out and they all still loved him.

Gabriella brightened Remus's world, she still loved him. She still wanted to spend the rest of her life with him even though they would never be able to have children.

Remus knew he would never find a love as strong as the one he had had with Gabriella. The one thing Remus was sure about, he would never probably find a woman that would accept him as a Werewolf.

* * *

Lily was going back to Healer school with the new year, but only part time. Three nights a week and if James could not be home with James then Alice offered to watch Harry. 

Alice did not want to go back to being an Auror just yet. Neville was not progressing as most children his age did with not only motor skills or magical. Alice figured this most likely came with the problems she had had with Neville while giving birth to him and the fact that he almost died after birth. Alice wanted to stay home with Neville and try and get him caught up with the other children before he started any kind of school.

Lily tried not to brag about Harry's progression to Alice, but it was hard not to. Harry was progressing so well and it seemed everyday that Harry did something wonderful. Lily could not wait to show James every night when he came from work how many more things Harry could do.

Lily could not wait until Harry would start walking. When he would nap Lily would start to think about family. Her mother, father, Grandma Rose, Grace, Harold, and Sarah, thinking about how much of a positive influence they would all be in Harry's life. She would wish they could see how wonderful their marriage was. To see how beautiful Harry was and how smart he was.

"He will be Head Boy at Hogwarts year nineteen hundred and ninety eight." James bragged as he puffed out his chest.

"Hold your tongue," Sirius coughed. "Harry will be the biggest prankster since the Marauders."

"Don't the two of you turn my sweet boy into a mini Marauder," Lily said bending down to take Harry from James's lap.

"Hey where are you taking my nephew!" Sirius asked outraged.

"Give my baby a bath and then it is off to bed," Lily rolled her eyes as she went upstairs with baby Harry.

* * *

Harry splashed and splashed around in the bathtub and cooed at his mother. Harry loved bath time. 

"Hello happy baby," she splashed with him and kissed the top of his head as she sat on the outside of the tub.

Harry was reaching for his rubber ducky that was at the sink, "Uh!" He grunted.

"Do you want your ducky sweetheart?"

Harry grunted again and Lily took it as a yes, but before she could reach it the rubber ducky lifted up from the sink and flew over to the five month old baby. Afterwards the ducky fell in the water. Harry made a gurgling noise which voiced that he was now happy that he had gotten his rubber ducky.

"Harry!" Lily's eyes lit up and he looked at her oddly.

"James!" Lily opened up the bathroom door and yelled for James to hear her from downstairs. "Come up, quick!"

James ran upstairs to see what was the matter. All he saw was a very stunned Lily and Harry happily playing with his rubber ducky. Lily was just staring at the baby.

"What is the matter?"

"That ducky…"

"What about it?"

"It was over there," Lily pointed.

"Okay?"

"Harry made it come to him…you know with his magical powers?"

"What!" James eyes widened as he picked up a very wet Harry out of the tub. This scared the babe so much that he dropped his ducky and cried. James kissed Harry and put the baby back in the tub. Turning to Lily, "Our baby is a bloody genius!"

"I know!" Lily said as tears began to fill in her eyes.

James pulled his wife into an embrace, pulling back they both looked at their son.

"You know most children do not show any magical powers until they are at least almost two years old and our boy is not even one!"

"I know!" Lily nodded with happy tears falling down her face. "My baby is growing up!"

* * *

Everyone eventually found out about Harry's ducky incident. Everyone was impressed, but no one seemed to notice how put out Alice looked. Harry's progressions were making Neville look like a very slow child and made Alice look like a mother that did not care. 

James and Sirius kept going on and on about how much of a genius Harry was. Also about how much havoc Harry would bring on to Hogwarts when he started and formed 'The Marauders' part two.

Lily would just remind them that they were not going to turn her precious baby boy. Remus would just chuckle at all of them.

"He will be totally brilliant," Amelia told Lily at a lunch date in mid January. "Be Head Boy, follow in James and your footsteps."

"I hope so," Lily smiled and looked down into Harry's stroller as the infant slept away.

"You know," Amelia bit her lip nervously. "We all have got to stop bragging about Harry so much."

"Why?" Lily asked feeling a bit offended.

"Alice."

"What about her?"

"Well you know how Neville is progressing…much slower than Harry and a bit behind other children their age?"

"Yes," Lily nodded.

"She feels as if Neville will never catch up and that he will be a…squib."

"That is ridiculous!" Lily shook her head, "He is only five months old! It is a bloody miracle that Harry is showing any magical powers at all!"

"Yes I know," Amelia nodded. "She believes since Neville is older than Harry then Neville should be progressing faster than Harry."

"That is nuts!" Lily looked outraged, "Every child progresses at their own pace. Harry is only a few hours younger than Neville."

"I know," Amelia sighed again. "She is afraid that he is too much behind mentally, physically, and magically."

"Oh bother," Lily sighed.

"She also thinks that it is her fault…"

"What! Why!"

"She thinks she is an unfit mother. That it is her fault that Neville is falling so far behind. Also, since you have gone back to school she sees how far ahead Harry is to Neville."

"Is that why she is avoiding me like Dragon Pox?"

"Yes," Amelia bit her lip. "I was not suppose to tell you any of this though."

"This is why she said she could not come to our lunch today?"

"Yes."

* * *

"What are you doing home?" James asked walking inot the family room to see Lily knitting Harry some new blue booties. 

"Huh?" Lily looked up from her knitting.

"I thought you had a class tonight?"

"Nope," Lily sighed. "There was an attack on the school. Remus was really surprised to see me come back five minutes after I left."

"You were not at the school, were you?"

"No, it happened right before I got there . I was running late because Harry was throwing a tantrum about me leaving."

"He never does that," James frowned.

"I know," Lily nodded. "That was so odd to me and he loves Remus! It is not as if we left him with Peter."

"Merlin forbid."

"That was a really odd, actually too much of a coincidence."

"That is what Albus said."

"When did you speak to him?"

"No."

"I figured you would have been there, Aurors everywhere."

"I was on another mission, in fact I was doing paperwork on it and Moody sent me home."

"Probably figured I was okay and that you would want to check on me."

"Thank Merlin you are," James said pulling Lily into a bone crushing hug. "Where is Harry?"

"Sleeping in his playpen," Lily pointed across the room. "He fell asleep about five minutes ago."

James kissed his lovely wife again, "Merlin if you would have been there just a few minutes earlier."

"I know," Lily nodded. "It was a good thing Harry was throwing a tantrum. It was really weird though, he would not let go of me. In fact, now that I think about it he had been like that all day."

"Maybe he felt it?" James asked.

"Maybe," Lily shrugged. "Maybe it has something to do with the mother/child bond."

"Has to be it," James nodded.

"Lily, James?"

They both turned around to see Albus Dumbledore was standing in front of the fireplace.

"Albus?" James asked, "Did not expect to see you here since you saw Lily earlier."

"I got new news on the attack at the Healer school."

"What is it Albus?" Lily asked.

"I honestly believe that you should stop going to Healer school, for now."

"No!" James yelled, "Lily wants nothing more than to be a Healer."

"If she values her life with Harry and you then she will stop Healer school."

"But…"

"Actually, Lily looked into James's handsome hazel eyes. "I was actually thinking of not going after I saw the school today."

"What?" James asked surprised.

"After I got home I would not let go of Harry and," Lily blushed. "I kind of want another baby."

"Oh," James eyes bulged.

"Or not," Lily said a bit hurt.

"No," James shook his head. "I want another baby too, but I thought you would want to wait until later."

"Maybe talk about extending your little family another time?" Albus suggested.

"Oh," Lily blushed in which James followed her in doing this. "Of course."

"Sit," James motioned for an armchair. Albus took the armchair and Lily and James took the couch in which Lily had been sitting upon earlier.

"What did you really stop by for again?" Lily asked.

"It is definitely a blessing that you were late for school today," Albus said looking into Lily's brilliant green eyes.

"Of course it is a blessing," James agreed.

"No," Albus shook his head. "It really is a miracle especially since that explosion was intended to kill Lily."

"What!" Lily and James yelled at the same time in which this reaction had now awoken a sleeping Harry who was now very upset for being awoken.

"Oh love," Lily said running to the playpen and began to cuddle him in her arms.

James looked at his son and Harry seemed content in Lily's arms. James then turned back to Albus Dumbledore, "What do you mean that attack was intended to kill Lily?"

"I have gotten information saying that the attack was intentional and it was suppose to kill your wife."

"That is crazy!"

"No it is not," Dumbledore shook his head. "Lily is a very brilliant Muggleborn witch and the fact that she is an Auror's wife and possibly the mother of the child that could bring the downfall of Lord Voldemort."

* * *

"Wormtail!" Lord Voldemort screamed. 

"Y…yes sire," Peter Pettigrew bowed down so low that the tip of his nose grazed the dirt on the ground.

"You said the Mudblood would be at the Healer School!"

"She was suppose to be there, sire." Peter began to shake uncontrollably.

"There was no need for that attack! It was a waste of my time and time of all my Death Eaters!"

"I am…so…sorry."

"Awww," Voldemort cackled. "Wormtail is sorry."

The Death Eaters began to laugh with Lord Voldemort now.

"_Crucio_!" Voldemort pointed his wand in Peter Pettigrew's direction.

His screams filled the air. Voldemort and the laughter of the Death Eaters joined Peter's screams.

* * *

There was a knock on the door and once she had opened it she sneered at the man opposite of her, "What are you doing here!" She pulled him inside and shut the door. 

"I had to see you," he stepped closer to her to kiss her, but the woman walked away looking disgusted.

"I do not want to se you anymore."

"But…but Bella…"

Bellatrix turned to look Peter Pettigrew into his dull eyes, "You should not have come…"

"I love you Bella…"

"You are lucky that master sent my husband on a mission without me or you would be dead right now."

"I did not see him at the meeting, so I decided to stop by."

"I am ashamed to have slept with you," Bellatrix Lestrange hissed at Peter Pettigrew. "Can not even get rid of a filthy little Mudblood?"

"She was suppose to be there!" Peter yelled.

"You need to leave."

"What can I do to win your love back?"

"Which baby do you think the prophecy speaks about?"

"The Potter child."

"A Halfblood over the Pureblood?" Bellatrix looked disgusted over this statement.

"The Potter child is already showing magical powers."

"At five months old!"

"Yes," Peter nodded. "The Longbottoms child is much to far behind to be the child of the prophecy."

"What do you mean?"

"The Longbottom child is behind almost every child around his age. The Potter child has to be the child of the prophecy. That is why I planned the attack for today at the Healer school."

"Why would you think she would bring the baby to school with her?" Bellatrix asked Peter.

"Alice Longbottom will not watch Lily's kid anymore because Harry is for ahead of Neville. Last time I talked to James they could not find a sitter and she was going to have to take him to school with her."

"So why was she late and why did she show up at the school without the kid?"

"I have no idea, but I will find out and tell master."

"Good or he will kill you."

"I thought you did not care about me anymore?" Peter asked feeling his heart beat faster and faster.

"I will still see you behind my husband's back if you swear to me that you will get rid of the Potters, all of them."

"I swear to you on my love for you."

* * *

"I still don't understand why he is only coming after me and Harry and not Alice and Neville?" 

"That I do not know Lily," Albus apologized. "I think someone is telling him that you and Harry are more of a threat then the Longbottoms."

"Alice is as smart as me and Neville is a Pureblood. In Voldemort's eyes that is the best there is."

"True," Albus nodded.

"In his eyes and the Death Eater's eyes Harry is no where near as worthy as Neville because Harry is a halfblood. Lily is Muggleborn and I am a Pureblood."

"I know this," Albus nodded again. "There is one thing you do not know about Voldemort that most people do not know that I know."

"What?" Lily asked.

"Voldemort is not a Pureblood, he is a halfblood as is Harry."

"What?" James asked very surprised.

"His father was a muggle and Voldemort's mother was a pureblood."

"I always thought he was a pureblood," James said looking shocked.

"Most people do."

"Then how do you know?" Lily asked.

"I had to approach him and explain to him that he had been accepted to Hogwarts."

"So why would he come after my baby?" Lily asked holding onto Harry tighter once again.

"I believe that since Voldemort is a halfblood and as powerful as he is, he also believes that Harry has the potential that he had at Harry's age."

"But," Lily blinked. "We have only told our closest friends about Harry's progressions."

"Merlin," Albus sighed. "That means that the spy is close to you. Merlin, the spy could have been in your home. How many people have you told from the Order."

"Just our closest friends," James said starting to bite his nails.

"Yes," Lily nodded. "I overheard Sirius and you speaking about Harry's progressions at the last meeting. What if the spy overheard your conversation?"

"Remus and Peter were in that conversation too," James pointed out.

"So anyone could have found out how far Harry has progressed compared to Neville," Lily asked starting to cry and held on to her baby even closer.

"What progressions?" Albus asked.

"Harry has already showed signs of magical powers."

"Oh my," Albus blinked. "Although I can not say I am completely surprised."

"You are not?" James asked.

"No," Albus shook his head. "In fact you were only a few months older than Harry when you started showing signs, James."

"I did?"

"Yes," Albus smiled. "I remember being away from Hogwarts on business and your father invited me over for dinner. You were crawling around and were throwing a fit because you mother was washing your favorite blanket."

Lily began to giggle, this sounded like the cutest story.

"Then all of a sudden, here came this soaking wet baby blue blanket soaring across the parlor soaking us all but you seemed pleased with yourself."

James turned pink, but Lily was the one to speak up. "That is kind of what happened with Harry. I was bathing him and he wanted his rubber ducky which was in the sink and before I could get it for him, it had soared across the room."

"And Neville?"

"He isn't even crawling or turning over. Alice believes it is her fault, in fact she will not even speak to me."

"Why does she believe it is her fault?" Albus asked.

"You know," Lily sighed. "All the complications she had with Neville and the fact that he almost died. Then she also thinks she is a horrible mother and does not give him enough attention or something. I honestly do not know, you would have to ask Amelia."

"Hell," Lily said with tears starting to fall down her face. "Maybe Alice will feel comfort in finding out that Voldemort is after my child and not hers."

"It is not a fact Lily," James spoke up.

"James is true, it is just a hunch I have. We will have to wait and see. I will promise you that I will heighten security around the house and more enchantments."


	32. Bethany Sparrow

**Chapter 32**

"Oh Lily," Alice said throwing her arms around her best friend. "I am so sorry."

Lily had tears in her eyes and was nodding, "I figured it was the only way I could get you to talk to me."

"What?!"

"You have been avoiding me."

"No I haven't," Alice lied.

"Yes you have," Lily sniffled. "I have a feeling it has to do with Harry crawling and showing magical abilities before Neville."

Alice sighed, "It is not only that. I mean I know that they are only a day apart so I was hoping that they would progress about the same time. All I ever hear from everyone about how brilliant Harry is and what new thing he has done. Then there is Neville…my poor baby is so far behind."

"But he is not, Harry is just progressing very fast. I did not expect any of this for a long time."

"I just do not know what to do with him."

"You have got to keep on working with him, give him your everything."

"I have."

"I know," Lily nodded. "So once Albus told us that he was pretty sure that Voldemort was after Harry and not Neville, I figured it was the only way I would get you to talk to me."

"No," Alice protested. "I am not mad at you, I am mad at myself for being so stubborn. Hell I hadn't even heard about the attack on the Healer school until this morning when Frank told me at breakfast."

"That attack happened because of me."

"Lily."

"No I am serious, that was suppose to kill me. Thank Merlin that Harry was throwing a fit and I was five minutes late at school."

"If I was being such a prat then who was babysitting Harry?"

"Remus."

* * *

Things with the war against Voldemort and his Death Eaters raged on and Lily honestly was glad that she had decided to stop going to Healer school for a while. James was working crazy hours from being an Auror and he was home at odd times. He had no real work schedule anymore, it was only when his pager went off.

"This is insane," Lily sighed one very early morning as Harry was running a fever and James had just been called into work. "You just got home two hours ago…"

"It is my job love," James said kissing Lily as she was trying to hold a screaming Harry. He latched on to his father and did not want to let go.

"What is wrong with him?" James yelled over the infant's screams.

"It has got to be the fever," Lily sighed as she pulled the baby away from James. "Be careful."

"I always am," James said kissing Lily again. "It took me long enough to bag you, I am not ready to lose you yet." He joked and she rolled her eyes at his arrogance but smiled letting him know that she was not angry with him.

"I love you."

"I love you too," James said walking out of the house getting ready to apparate to work.

* * *

"What is wrong with him?" Remus yelled over Harry's screams later on that morning.

"I have no idea," Lily cried at her wits end. "He has been crying like this since we were awoken at three this morning that James had to go back to work."

"Sirius did not get home until one, I know because Amelia made me stay up with her."

"James too," Lily nodded as she gave Harry some medicine to get the fever down.

"That is insane."

"It is Voldemort," Lily sighed.

"I am so angry!" Alice said walking in with Neville on her hip as she slammed the front door.

"Ah another wife of an Auror," Remus chuckled.

"This is getting out of hand!" Amelia said putting Neville in the playpen and stuck Harry in there with him. For the first time that day Harry quit crying and fell asleep a few minutes later.

"Just think if you had gone back to work after giving birth to Neville."

"I never see him anymore!"

"I know," Lily sighed.

"Okay, yeah Amelia needs to be here for this conversation and not me." Remus said a bit uncomfortable, "I heard all of this from her last night."

* * *

Another Death Eater attack on Muggles, but this time Voldemort was no where to be seen. James was exhausted in every way possible, but went on and just thought about getting home safely to Lily and Harry.

"Oh it's the Mudblood lover!" Cackled a voice that James knew only too well.

"Bellatrix," James turned around.

"My blood traitor cousin, my poor aunt is so ashamed of you."

"I am as ashamed of all of you," Sirius said coolly.

"Tonight you die," she cackled and her husband laughed with her.

The fight went on for hours and soon the Death Eaters were out numbered and left, but Bellatrix was not going without a disaster.

* * *

There was a knock at the door about one that afternoon and Lily sighed. She had wanted to take a nap as Harry was out. She opened the front door to see James's boss standing in front of her.

"Moody?"

"Can I come in Lily?"

"Of course," Lily said motioning for him to come through.

"Albus has your house under wonderful surveillance, your family is defiantly safe here at Godric's Hollow."

"Come on in into the sitting room," Lily said as he followed her. "Tea?"

"I actually can not stay long, I have to go file this case."

"Oh of course," Lily nodded. "When is James coming home?"

"That is actually why I am here."

"Okay," Lily asked looking very confused.

"Lily there has been an accident."

"No," Lily began to cry.

"He is at St. Mungo's right now."

"Oh Merlin no," Lily began to sob.

"St. Mungo's is pretty full right now and James is in intensive care. They do not allow children in there, so you might want to find a babysitter."

"Thank you," Lily nodded.

"I will show myself out."

* * *

"Thank you Remus," Lily smiled.

"No problem, go make sure that James is okay. I will stay here as long as you need me to."

"Thanks again Remus," Lily said hugging Remus tightly and kissing him on the cheek. "You are such a good friend to James and I."

Lily walked out of the door after handing baby Harry to Remus and kissing her baby goodbye. Then Lily waved her wand and apparated right outside of St. Mungo's.

Lily ran into the door and saw there was a line out to the door of people talking the receptionist who looked really harassed at the moment. After standing in the line for more than twenty minutes, bouncing up and down Lily got to the counter.

"Can I help you?"

"Potter, James Potter. He is an Auror and was rushed here."

"All Aurors who are here have been rushed to the ER."

"Thank you," Lily yelled as she ran down the corridor.

"Sorry Ma'am I can not let you in," a man stood outside the door to stop her.

"My husband is in there!" Lily said with tears in her eyes.

"I am sorry…"

"My husband is in there!" Lily yelled at this time with tears falling down her face, "Let me in there!"

"We are not…"

"Pertifuculus Totalus!"

Lily ran past the immobile man now on the floor, she felt a bit guilty but the guilt was being over powered with worry for James. She was down the hallway looking to her left, then right, left, right, over and over in that way. She had to find the room James was in.

"Lily?"

Lily turned around white as a ghost and almost started crying as she ran up to none other than Sirius Black sitting in a muggle wheelchair.

"Sirius!" She yelled with tears falling down her face as she bent down and gave him a bone crushing hug, "Where is James?! What happened?"

"They have Prongs in the same room as me, but I am warning you now…it's not pretty."

"I don't care I want to see him!"

"Down at the end of the hall," Sirius nudged his head. "Room 350."

"What are you doing down here?"

"Bored. Push me and I will show you where we are at."

Lily opened the door with Sirius at the chair but she left him at the doorway, which Sirius wasn't surprised or offended.

"James!" Lily whispered as huge tears fell down her face and on to her blouse. "Oh James," she said wanting to throw him into a bone crushing hug but afraid that she would hurt him even more.

"I'm alright Lily," he smiled but Lily could see how much he was in pain just by his facial expression and the look in his eyes. "Where is Harry?"

"I left him with Remus."

James coughed and a bit of blood came up, "Don't look at me like that." James said looking away from her.

"What happened?!" She asked sitting down in the chair beside him, but really wanting to crawl up in the bed and never let him go.

"Horrible attack," Sirius said wheeling himself to his bed as a nurse came in the room and yelled at Sirius for being out of bed and put him back where he belonged. There were some cries of agony as he felt his entire body of fire.

James had a huge gash open on his forehead, busted lip, both hands where bloody and one hand you could see down to the meat. His fingers were all mangled and Lily was afraid that the middle left finger was going to fall off by the shape it was in. There were a few cuts on his abdomen, but his knees got the worst of it all. One was oozing this green pus and the left one looked burnt and would not stop bleeding.

"What happened?!" Lily asked again.

"Well we were winning against Voldemort and his Death Eaters," James sighed as he looked into Lily's brilliant green eyes that only held worry and fear for him. "Then out of no where we started losing, and bad. They threw the usual unforgivable curses, but there were curses they were throwing at us that I had never heard."

"That's how James's knee looks the way it does," Sirius spoke up.

"It looks burnt," Lily chocked.

"It is," James sighed as he lifted his hands out of two separate tubs with antiseptic to stop the infection and showed Lily as she gasped. "After they threw the burning curse on my legs they threw '_Crucio_,' on me."

"That's how his hands and face are they way they are," Sirius spoke again.

Lily then turned her attention to Sirius, "What happened to you?"

"New curse," Sirius sighed. "Paralyzed me."

"For good?" Lily asked feeling ill.

"They think only temporarily," James spoke up.

"Thank Merlin," Sirius sighed. "Amelia would kill me if she had to take care of me for too long," Sirius joked.

"Has Amelia seen you yet?"

"No, they are only letting family in. You will tell her I am alright, right?"

"Of course," Lily waved and then another shock ran over her. "Frank?"

"We haven't seen him," James said in almost a whisper.

"Not since we left the Ministry," Sirius nodded to James's answer.

"Merlin I hope he is alright."

"Me too," Sirius and James said at the same time.

* * *

James and Sirius were both released later on that night and it was already past Harry's bedtime by the time Lily got home with a very banged up James.

"He's already asleep in they playpen," Remus said smiling as he looked up from the _Evening Prophet_. "Been asleep for about an hour and a half now."

"You know you are the only one that can get him asleep when James or I am not here."

"Yeah," Remus smiled. "Padfoot hates it."

"Yeah he does," Lily chuckled.

"How is Padfoot?"

"Alright Moony," James said as Lily helped him sit down on the couch to prop his legs up. "They think he is only temporarily paralyzed."

"Wheelchair?" Remus asked as he felt his throat tighten up and thoughts went straight. Of course his immediate thoughts went to when Gabriella had been paralyzed and sent to that muggle contraption. How much she had hated it and felt that it had become her prison, hell on earth. Gabriella was outraged that the magical community had not come up with a solution of how to make her walk. So she had taken matters into her own hands, yes it had only been a temporary solution but she had planned to find a cure for her condition. Then she died.

"There is nothing to get him to walk again?"

"His legs just aren't moving and all the magical medical remedies they have could not fix him, they think it is just shock from a new Death Eater curse. Hopefully in a couple of weeks he will be back to normal."

"What about the solution that Gabriella had come up with?"

"I figured you would think of her in this situation," Lily smiled at him knowingly.

"Well," Remus sighed. "She never leaves my mind."

"After Gabby died no one pushed on her invention, except of course for the Wolfsbane Potion which is invented under her old colleagues name."

"Bastard."

"So it has been sitting in her own notes at her old workshop."

"What?!" Remus asked a bit outraged, "Gabriella was a brilliant mind and a wiz at Potions. Why in Merlin's name would you ignore her genius?!"

"The Ministry is still trying to figure out the culprit for her murder, it has just been put in the Cold Case files."

"I know," Remus said a bit bitter.

"So they have let someone reopen Gabriella's notes finally and there is a girl now at the Ministry whom is now continuing Gabriella's work."

"Good," Remus smiled. "I shall go see her tomorrow, goodnight." Remus disapparated.

Lily sighed as she picked up her baby and went upstairs to bed.

* * *

"Come in," came voice as Remus Lupin walked into the Ministry's potion labs.

As Remus walked in he saw with his own eyes where Gabriella had come to work, he had never been inside before.

"Can I help you sir?" A boy with thick black glasses, blonde hair, and blue eyes asked.

"I am looking for the person that is picking up Gabriella Martinez's work?"

"Lab 23B."

"Thank you," Remus said walking away without introducing himself or asking anything about the boy he had just spoken with.

At the back of the laboratory was room 23B, looked to be the biggest of them all. Remus knocked at the door and he heard a shuffle to the door.

"Who is it?" Came a sweet small voice from behind the door.

"Remus Lupin."

The girl opened the door and frowned, "Do I know you?"

"No," Remus shook his head at the young woman in front of him. She had brown hair wrapped into a bun on top of her head, small wire rim glasses, a button nose, slender body, and about five foot flat.

"Then can I help you?"

"Yes," Remus said he would have already stepped into the lab room but the girl was blocking the room. "I hear you are taking over Gabriella Martinez's work?"

"Yes," the girl nodded. "What does that have to do with you?"

"If we could speak in private."

"I do not know you," the girl said in what Remus thought was a very rude tone.

"Look," Remus sighed as he ran his hands through his hair, a very James Potter moment. "Gabriella was my girlfriend and I was outraged when they did not let someone finish her work."

"Of course," the girl nodded. "Miss Martinez was one of the most brilliant minds this centaury in Potions. She had so many wonderful things she was working on…"

"Yes," Remus nodded. "I heard they just recently let someone take over her notes and her work."

"Yes, they let me finish Gabriella's work."

"I was wondering how far you were coming along to being finished with the potion she presented at the Ministry Ball on the night she died."

The young woman in front of him frowned, "Now if you were truly Gabriella's boyfriend then you would certainly know that I can not do that. That is classified material, a potion that the Ministry is keeping a close eye on."

"That is outrageous!" Remus yelled startling the young woman, "They had no idea that Gabby was making this! She surprised everyone at the ball, including me?!"

"So if you had no idea about it…why ask now?"

"This is personal."

"Then follow me," the woman motioned him inside her office and locked the door. "Sit," she motioned to a chair opposite her things as she waved her wand and everything was gone.

"As I am sure you are aware Gabriella had been attacked by a horrible Death Eater attack in Hogsmeade when we attended Hogwarts."

"Yes."

"She had been confound to that wheelchair and she hated it. It was a prison to her and more often then none she called it her hell on earth."

"Yes."

"St. Mungo's had told her she would be paralyzed for the rest of her life, she was devastated and almost went insane months afterwards until she finally got up and did something about it."

"Yes," the girl sighed. "What does that have to do with you now? Gabriella has been dead for almost a year now."

That stung deep, deep down.

"My best friend is an Auror for the Ministry and they are saying for now it is just temporarily but what if it is not?"

"Ah," the girl nodded. "You want to know how far I have come on that potion. You want to know if I have it in a liquid form like Miss Martinez had on that night?"

"Precisely," Remus nodded.

"I do not at the moment, they just gave me her case a few weeks ago. This potion is a very complex potion, nothing I can not handle of course. This potion took some months in making. It will be a while before I can get it the way you saw it."

"Right," Remus sighed. "Do you know when?"

"I am sorry I do not."

"It was nice to meet you…"

"Bethany," she smiled at him. "Bethany Sparrow."

"Remus Lupin."


End file.
